Investing.com -- American Airlines announced Tuesday it will increase premium seating and bring back seatback entertainment screens on narrowbody aircraft as the carrier works to close its profit gap with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

The Fort Worth-based airline said premium seating will grow to about 40% of seats on narrowbody departures in coming years from roughly 25% currently. The expansion will include additional first class seats and main cabin seats with extra legroom through aircraft reconfiguration and new plane deliveries.

Premium travelers generated nearly half of American's ticketed revenue in the second quarter while representing roughly 30% of seats.

American continues to lag behind Delta and United in profitability. The airline expects roughly break-even results this year, while Delta and United have forecast solid profits. CEO Robert Isom last week restructured senior management and acknowledged a "meaningful gap" between American's performance and its targets.

The return of seatback screens reverses American's previous inflight entertainment approach. The airline began removing the screens nearly a decade ago, expecting passengers would use their own devices for entertainment.

American said customer preferences have shifted, particularly among younger travelers who want access to larger screens alongside their personal devices. Advances in high-speed satellite Wi-Fi now enable a more connected onboard experience, the airline said.

The carrier expects more than 800 narrowbody aircraft to have seatback screens. Retrofits will begin in 2028 and are expected to finish in the early 2030s. New Airbus and Boeing aircraft with screens will also start arriving in 2028.

The company did not disclose the program's expected cost.