Delta says April unit revenue down 2 percent

Delta Air Lines Inc on Thursday said an important revenue measure weakened in April because of soft U.S. demand and unfavorable effects from the weaker yen.

Unit revenue, or passenger revenue per available seat mile, fell 2 percent last month from a year earlier. The number of passengers boarded fell 1.5 percent in April.

Delta had cautioned last week that U.S. government spending cuts under the sequestration process and lighter demand from leisure travelers would hurt April results. The carrier also said it was considering reducing flights in the Pacific region as the weaker yen was pressuring results there.

In a statement, the airline forecast "modest year over year improvement" in unit revenue for May and June.

Shares of Delta were up 1.6 percent to $17.11 in morning trading.

(Reporting by Karen Jacobs; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)