American Airlines sees bookings rebounding in summer

(Reuters) - American Airlines said on Wednesday it expects to fly more than 90% of its domestic seat capacity in the summer of 2021, compared with the same period in 2019, due to a strong rebound in bookings.

The U.S. airline also expects to utilize 80% of its international seat capacity this summer, compared with 2019 levels. (https://bit.ly/3wPJgjP)

Air travel has been impacted by travel restrictions around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, rising vaccination rates are widely expected to aid bookings later this year.

American said it plans to operate more than 150 new routes this summer, as people increasingly travel for leisure.

"Today, (customers) are telling us they're eager to get back to travel," said Brian Znotins, American's vice president of network planning, in a statement.

Shares of American were up 1.5% at $22.94 in premarket trading.

(Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)