The airline industry has been able to survive the broader economic slowdown in the United States, thanks also to tight airline capacity due to shortages of aircraft and spare parts. American said it expected total revenue per available seat mile, a proxy for pricing power, to be up about 25.5% in the first quarter from a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, it forecast a quarterly per-share profit of between 1 cent and 5 cents, compared with its previous forecast of a near break-even. Analysts were expecting a profit of 6 cents per share, according to Refinitiv data. The carrier also slightly trimmed its fuel price forecast to $3.27 to $3.32 per gallon for the first quarter from its prior estimate of $3.33 to $3.38 per gallon. It had paid $2.80 per gallon in the first quarter of last year. Southwest Airlines Co closed down 1.4%, United was down 6.5% and Delta was down 2.4%. (Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber, Arun Koyyur and Anil D'Silva)