New York, Feb 23, 2026, 07:04 EST — Premarket
- American Airlines saw its shares up roughly 1.8% in premarket trading, moving higher along with other big U.S. airlines.
- Thousands of flights have been scrapped or delayed after a heavy winter storm barreled through the Northeast.
- Oil slipped, with traders weighing U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations and changes in U.S. tariff policy.
American Airlines Group Inc shares added roughly 1.8% in premarket trading Monday, climbing to $13.59 after closing out Friday near $13.36.
A fierce winter storm is upending travel plans across the U.S. Northeast, and airlines are feeling the sting as weather forces closures along crucial routes. Data from FlightAware put Monday’s U.S. flight cancellations at over 5,300, with numbers climbing for Tuesday as major airports report growing disruption.
Fuel played a role too. Oil slipped Monday, with U.S.-Iran nuclear talks looming and new U.S. tariffs rattling confidence about the global outlook. “The tariff news over the weekend has resulted in some risk-aversion flows,” said Tony Sycamore, analyst at IG Markets. Reuters
Delta Air Lines climbed close to 3% before the bell, and United Airlines gained around 2.7%. Southwest Airlines, on the other hand, barely budged.
Airport programs kept drawing attention as Washington’s wrangling continued. The TSA reassured travelers that PreCheck “remains operational with no change for the traveling public” after an earlier warning linked to a partial Homeland Security shutdown unsettled travel groups. Global Entry’s status, however, was still up in the air. Reuters
American popped up in international airline headlines as Brazil’s Azul emerged from Chapter 11, the U.S. bankruptcy system allowing debt restructuring without halting operations. Azul revealed American’s committed to pump in another $100 million in equity—pending antitrust signoff. “They could have invested in anyone else, but they decided to join us,” Azul CEO John Rodgerson said. Reuters
American’s pitch to investors centers on a brighter 2026, not so much 2025. Back in late January, the airline guided for full-year adjusted earnings between $1.70 and $2.70 a share—topping analyst calls at the time—even as it warned about a possible $200 million drag from Winter Storm Fern.
Still, the risk is clear enough. Oil’s all over the place, and with Goldman Sachs bumping up its 2026 price targets—citing slimmer OECD stockpiles—jet fuel could easily spike. That’s the last thing airlines need while scrambling to defend margins.
Operational risk is on the table too: should the Northeast storm stretch further into the week, airlines face a higher tally of cancellations and rebooking expenses. Any staffing or service slowdowns, triggered by the Homeland Security funding lapse, could disrupt airport operations right when it matters most.
In the coming week, traders are tracking potential delays at major Northeast airports amid storm fallout, keeping an eye on antitrust developments linked to the Azul investment, and bracing for Thursday’s U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva—an event that could rattle oil prices and airline stocks.
