(Bloomberg) — American Airlines Group Inc. said it continues to see strong demand for travel, even as surging jet fuel drives up ticket prices and consumer confidence in the US edges down.
“People still want to travel and travel is still a bargain,” Robert Isom, American’s chief executive officer, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Wednesday. Isom said the airline continues to see demand across international and domestic travel, as well as for its premium offerings.
The airline expects similar levels of profitability in 2026 as it did in 2025, despite a much higher fuel bill, Isom said. American reported an adjusted net income excluding special items of $237 million in 2025.
American’s bullish assessment of demand comes a day after the Conference Board’s gauge of confidence decreased 0.7 point to 93.1 amid rising prices due to the war in Iran.
The recent spike in fuel prices is particularly challenging for lower-income households despite a largely stable labor market and few signs of broad layoffs.
The executive said American’s fleet upgrades and new aircraft will add more premium seating on its aircraft to tap higher paying customers.
While low-cost airlines are under pressure from rising fuel costs, American said it wouldn’t necessarily look to grow through acquisitions, but instead will grow organically. It could be “opportunistic” about acquiring assets such as aircraft or gates, Isom said.
Isom also reiterated his opposition to a merger of American and rival United Airlines Holdings Inc.
“That was a no from the get go,” Isom said. “At the end of the day, doing something that would be viewed as anti-competitive by just about everybody that looked at it is just something that we don’t spend a lot of time on.”
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