Atlanta

UNITED Continental Holdings Inc's acting chief executive officer promised to keep building on the momentum of the airline's permanent CEO, who's out on medical leave, and got a boost from an encouraging profit outlook.

Customer-service improvements will be announced soon, interim CEO Brett Hart said on Thursday on a conference call just three days after his appointment to fill in for Oscar Munoz. He also said United remains focused on improving morale for front-line employees, a persistent challenge since the carrier's creation in a 2010 merger.