Delta Air net profit falls 37 percent

(Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc on Thursday reported a 37 percent decline in fourth-quarter net profit and forecast passenger unit revenue, a closely watched metric, to be flat to up 2 percent in early 2017. The No. 2 carrier by passenger traffic said net income fell to $622 million from $980 million a year earlier. Excluding special items, earnings of 82 cents a share met the analysts' average estimate, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Delta said the profit decline stemmed from the recent