Airline executives predict a record summer and even more demand for first class

While the aviation industry has been in the spotlight lately for a host of safety issues, airline executives say there is no sign of slowing demand for flights.

United Airlines "as an airline and as an industry" will carry record numbers of travelers this summer, the carrier's Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella said on an earnings call Wednesday.

"Demand continues to be strong, and we see a record spring and summer travel season with our 11 highest sales days in our history all occurring this calendar year," Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said on his company's call a week earlier. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines report results on April 25.

Air travel demand has been resilient despite persistent inflation that has weighed on household budgets, as well as a spate of high-profile safety issues that have sparked congressional hearings and have become the butt of jokes from late-night television to TikTok.

Public and regulatory scrutiny of the industry increased after a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 Max 9 in January. That sparked a new safety crisis for Boeing and slowed its deliveries of new planes to airlines.

United Airlines itself is undergoing a safety review with the Federal Aviation Administration after several incidents this year, including a tire that fell from one of its older Boeing 777s.

Airlines, which make the bulk of their money in the spring and summer, have also been grappling with higher costs of fuel and labor, with fresh contracts giving pilots and other workers large raises after years of stagnant pay.

Nonetheless, demand for international trips and rebounding corporate travel have helped boost global carriers. Both Delta and United's second-quarter forecasts outpaced Wall Street estimates.