MILAN, Italy (AFP)  — Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian sought to reassure international travelers Wednesday that the United States remains a welcoming destination ahead of the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

“Hopefully, the World Cup will bring a lot of Europeans, a lot of international visitors into the United States (US) market,” Bastian told AFP.

The United States, along with Canada and Mexico, will be hosting the biennial football competition from June 11 through July 20.

But the US crackdown on immigration by Donald Trump’s presidential administration has raised worries that some international travelers may avoid it this year.

“Yes, the US has a focus on immigration. This is not immigration. This is tourism,” Bastian said in an interview in parallel with the Winter Olympic Games.

“And as long as people are coming with the proper credentials, they’re not having any issues,” Bastian said.

Delta, which is sponsoring Team USA in Milan, has projected revenue growth of between five and seven percent in the first quarter of 2026, with the airline continuing to benefit from strong demand from upper-end consumers.

A major client of European planemaker Airbus in recent years, Delta in January announced an order of 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, with an option for another 30 planes.

Unlike other US airlines, Delta has not flown the Boeing 737 MAX, which experienced two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that began a long period of difficulty at Boeing.

“Boeing is doing a good job of stabilising the situation,” said Bastian, adding that the company had made progress under new leadership.

“As one of the largest global airlines in the world, you can’t rely only on Airbus. You have to have an ability to work with both suppliers,” Bastian said.

“And we’re now at a point where we’re confident that Boeing is on the good side of recovery.”