By Dean Seal

United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby said demand for flights hasn't taken a hit from fighting in the Middle East. It has been hitting new highs instead.

Monday was United's biggest day for bookings by revenue ever, with the measure rising 36% from the same day a year earlier, Kirby said in an interview. A new one-day record will likely be set on Tuesday, he said.

United's performance comes as elevated oil prices are driving up airfares. Kirby said demand has remained buoyant for domestic and international flights, a result that he chalks up to a strong U.S. economy.

While overseas upheavals have historically pressured air-travel demand, "the world has changed," Kirby said Tuesday.

"People don't react as much," he said. "There's more stuff [that's] happened in the world the last several years, and so mostly people keep going on about life and business."

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March 10, 2026 18:48 ET (22:48 GMT)

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