(Reuters) –Southwest Airlines Co raised Thursday its second quarter operating revenue forecast as strong travel demand places U.S. airlines on the fast track towards a recovery after pandemic lows.

Before the bell, shares of the airline rose nearly 3%

Southwest stated in a regulatory statement that “the company continues to enjoy strong load factors” and an acceleration of summer travel bookings.

Southwest said it expects to post solid profits for the third quarter as well as the remainder of 2022.

It said that it expected current-quarter operating revenues to increase by 12 to 15%, as opposed to pre-pandemic levels. That is compared to an earlier prediction of an 8 to 12% growth.