CHICAGO (Reuters) -United Airlines on Tuesday forecast a stronger-than-expected profit in the current quarter, after third-quarter earnings topped Wall Street estimates on improved pricing power.

In a sign of growing confidence in its business, the Chicago-based airline also announced a $1.5 billion share buyback program - its first since the COVID pandemic.

United said it expects an adjusted profit of $2.50-$3 per share in the quarter through December. Analysts expect the company to report a quarterly profit of $2.68 a share, according to LSEG data.

United reported adjusted earnings in the September quarter of $3.33 a share, compared with analysts' expectations of $3.17.

The airline said its domestic unit revenue, a proxy for pricing power, turned positive in August and September from a year ago.

An excess supply of airline seats in the domestic market during the summer travel season had forced carriers to discount fares, hurting their earnings.

U.S. airlines have moderated capacity since then. Annual domestic seat growth has slowed to 1.5% in October and November from 5.5% in July, according to analysts at BofA.

"As predicted, unproductive capacity left the market in mid-August, and we saw a clear inflection point in our revenue trends that propelled United to exceed Q3 expectations," United's CEO, Scott Kirby, said in a statement.