The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, March 12, edition that several U.S. airlines lowered their earnings estimates due to mounting economic uncertainty, following a similar announcement from Delta Air Lines. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe reports that they warned that immediate economic pressures would lead to a reduction in capacity after the summer travel peak to avoid discounting. Weakened consumer and business confidence, partly due to tariffs imposed by President Trump, has raised concerns about rising prices and potential economic contraction. With travel spending linked to overall economic activity, a downturn could negatively impact the airline industry, which has already experienced reduced revenue from government funding due to budget cuts. "Economic uncertainty is a big deal," American Airlines Inc. chief executive officer Robert Isom said at a JPMorgan industry conference. Mr. Isom and Delta chief executive officer Ed Bastian also mentioned recent air crashes and weather events as contributing factors in dampening travel demand. On Tuesday, American forecast a wider first quarter loss owing to a sharp slowdown in revenue. Southwest Airlines also cut its revenue forecast for the first quarter.