United plans 2 percent cut in 2Q flying capacity
United sees 2Q flying capacity shrinking 2 percent as traffic declines a little
CHICAGO (AP) -- United Airlines expects to cut flying by 2.1 percent during the current quarter, as traffic declines.
The biggest cuts are in domestic flying capacity, which is shrinking by 2.5 percent in the quarter that ends on Sunday.
Traffic is expected to fall between 1.1 percent and 2.1 percent, the airline said. The biggest drop is in domestic traffic, too.
The company predicted that a key measure of revenue — how much it collects for each seat flown one mile — would rise 0.3 percent to 1.3 percent for the quarter, compared to the same period last year.
The airline has sold more seats for the upcoming six weeks than at the same period last year. Most categories were up, including a 2 percentage points rise in mainline domestic seats sold, and a 2.7 percentage points rise in international seats sold. The only area to decline was a slight dip in the percentage of seats sold for flights across the Pacific.
Shares of parent company United Continental Holdings Inc. rose 63 cents, or 2.1 percent, to close at $31.36.
