NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Delta Air Lines Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!dal/quotes/nls/dal (DAL 8.33, -0.69, -7.65%) reported a third-quarter loss Thursday of $161 million, or 19 cents a share, compared to a loss of $50 million, or 13 cents a share, in the year-ago period. On an adjusted basis, the Atlanta carrier said it earned 6 cents a share. Analysts polled by FactSet Research were looking for a loss of 5 cents a share, on average. Total operating revenue declined 21% to $7.6 billion.