Airline stocks received a welcome boost as federal data showed an uptick in the number of air travelers.
Passenger traffic is at its highest level in weeks as the Transportation Security Administration said screeners handled 831,789 people on Sunday.
That is the most since mid-March.
However, there is still a long way to go before airlines are actually turning a profit
The improved numbers are still nearly 70% down on normal pre-pandemic traffic.
At this time of year, the TSA normally handles about 2.5 million people a day.
US airlines carried more than 16 million travelers in June which is almost double that of May.
American Airlines Group shares rose 8.2% in midday trading Monday while Delta and United Airlines shares were up about 7%.
Written by Ray Montgomery, US editor
