NEW YORK (AP) - Many airline stocks fell in midday trading Wednesday, as oil prices rebounded above $74 per barrel.

Airline stocks are particularly sensitive to oil prices, as jet fuel is among their top costs. A barrel of oil gained 22 cents to $74.15 in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The Amex Airline Index fell nearly 1 percent in midday trading. The decline snapped a week of steady gains for the index. Of its 10 component stocks, seven marked declines.

The oil gains tempered increasing analyst confidence about the industry's revenue growth. Two analysts boosted their second-quarter earnings estimates for Continental Airlines Inc., after the airline said Monday its June traffic grew nearly 14 percent.

Morgan Stanley analyst William J. Greene increased his estimate to $2.04 per share from $1.95, saying strong demand amid relatively flat supply of airline seats should drive earnings. Wall Street overall is looking for $1.48, according to a Thomson Financial analyst poll.

Prudential analyst Bob McAdoo upped his estimate to $1.91 from $1.73. He said the strong revenue environment likely will boost airline shares through the industry's earnings season, which begins later this month.

Continental shares were one of the industry's few gainers, adding 49 cents to $29.99 on the New York Stock Exchange. Other gainers include American Airlines' parent AMR Corp., whose shares rose 41 cents to $26.01 on the NYSE. Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. edged up 26 cents to $16.73.

Among the sharpest percentage decliners, commuter carrier ExpressJet Holdings Inc. shares fell 21 cents, or 3 percent, to $6.87 on the NYSE. Its stock has traded between $5.01 and $10.97 over the past year.

AirTran Holdings Inc. shares lost 31 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $14.64. Its stock has traded between $8.72 and $18.85 over the past 52 weeks.

Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc.'s stock gave up 21 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $7.04 on the Nasdaq. Its shares have ranged between $5.66 and $13.01 over the past year.

JetBlue Airways Corp. fell 15 cents to $12.16 on the Nasdaq, and United Airlines' parent UAL Corp. fell 52 cents, or nearly 2 percent, to $30.45. Its stock has traded between $26.02 and $43.75 since it began trading in February following the carrier's emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

US Airways Group Inc.'s stock fell 30 cents to $51.80 on the NYSE, where it's traded between $20.10 and $52.30 since its stock began trading in September following its Chapter 11 emergence.

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