US Airline Demand, Costs Soaring as Earnings Kick Off

US Airline Demand, Costs Soaring as Earnings Kick Off
An American Airlines aircraft flies past JetBlue and United Express aircraft as it lands at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, United States, on Jan. 24, 2022. Joshua Roberts/Reuters
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CHICAGO—Major U.S. airlines are enjoying the strongest travel demand in three years, yet investors will focus on how they are mitigating mounting inflationary pressures when they report quarterly earnings starting on Wednesday.

After a blip caused by the Omicron coronavirus variant, travel demand has roared back, with some airlines reporting the highest ticket sales in their history. U.S. passenger traffic has been averaging about 89% of the pre-pandemic levels since mid-February, according to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) data.