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American Airlines[8] is a major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by scheduled passengers carried, revenue passenger mile, and daily flights. American, along with its regional subsidiaries and contractors operating under the brand name American Eagle, operate an extensive international and domestic network with almost 6,800 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in 48 countries.[9][10] American Airlines is a founding member of the Oneworld alliance.
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| Founded | April 15, 1926 (as American Airways, Inc.)[3] | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | June 25, 1936 | ||||||
| AOC # | AALA025A[4] | ||||||
| Hubs | |||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | AAdvantage | ||||||
| Alliance | Oneworld | ||||||
| Fleet size | 977 | ||||||
| Destinations | 353[5] | ||||||
| Parent company | American Airlines Group | ||||||
| Headquarters | Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.[6] | ||||||
| Key people |
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| Employees | 103,200 (2023)[7] | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
American Airlines and American Eagle operate out of ten hubs, with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) being the largest. The airline handles more than 200 million passengers annually, with an average of more than 500,000 passengers daily. As of 2023[update], the company employs 103,200 staff members.
American Airlines was started in 1930 as a union of more than eighty small airlines.[11] The two organizations from which American Airlines originated were Robertson Aircraft Corporation and Colonial Air Transport. The former was first created in Missouri in 1921, with both being merged in 1929 into holding company The Aviation Corporation. This, in turn, was made in 1930 into an operating company and rebranded as American Airways. In 1934, when new laws and attrition of mail contracts forced many airlines to reorganize, the corporation redid its routes into a connected system and was renamed American Airlines. The airline fully developed its international business between 1970 and 2000. It purchased Trans World Airlines in 2001.[12]
American had a direct role in the development of the Douglas DC-3, which resulted from a marathon telephone call from American Airlines CEO C. R. Smith to Douglas Aircraft Company founder Donald Wills Douglas Sr., when Smith persuaded a reluctant Douglas to design a sleeper aircraft based on the DC-2 to replace American's Curtiss Condor II biplanes. (The existing DC-2's cabin was 66 inches (1.7 m) wide, too narrow for side-by-side berths.) Douglas agreed to proceed with development only after Smith informed him of American Airline's intention to purchase 20 aircraft. The prototype DST (Douglas Sleeper Transport) first flew on December 17, 1935, the 32nd anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Its cabin was 92 in (2.3 m) wide, and a version with 21 seats instead of the 14–16 sleeping berths of the DST was given the designation DC-3. There was no prototype DC-3; the first DC-3 built followed seven DSTs off the production line and was delivered to American Airlines.[13] American Airlines inaugurated passenger service on June 26, 1936, with simultaneous flights from Newark, New Jersey, and Chicago, Illinois.[14]
American also had a direct role in the development of the DC-10, which resulted from a specification from American Airlines to manufacturers in 1966 to offer a widebody aircraft that was smaller than the Boeing 747, but capable of flying similar long-range routes from airports with shorter runways. McDonnell Douglas responded with the DC-10 trijet shortly after the two companies' merger.[15] On February 19, 1968, the president of American Airlines, George A. Spater, and James S. McDonnell of McDonnell Douglas announced American's intention to acquire the DC-10. American Airlines ordered 25 DC-10s in its first order.[16][17] The DC-10 made its first flight on August 29, 1970,[18] and received its type certificate from the FAA on July 29, 1971.[19] On August 5, 1971, the DC-10 entered commercial service with American Airlines on a round-trip flight between Los Angeles and Chicago.[20]
In 2011, due to a downturn in the airline industry, American Airlines' parent company, the AMR Corporation, filed for bankruptcy protection. In 2013, American Airlines merged with US Airways but kept the American Airlines name, as it was the better-recognized brand internationally; the combination of the two airlines resulted in the creation of the largest airline in the United States, and ultimately the world.[21]
In December 2023, the company was added to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.[22]
Destinations
As of September 2024[update], American Airlines flies (or has flown) to the following destinations:
Hubs
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American currently operates ten hubs.[73]
- Charlotte (CLT): American's hub for the southeastern United States and secondary Caribbean gateway.[74]
- Chicago–O'Hare (ORD): American's hub for the Midwest.[75]
- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW): American's hub for the southern United States and largest hub overall.[76] The corporate headquarters of American Airlines are located in Fort Worth near the airport.[76]
- Los Angeles (LAX): American's hub for the West Coast and secondary transpacific gateway.[77]
- Miami (MIA): American's primary Latin American and Caribbean hub.[78]
- New York–Kennedy (JFK): American's secondary transatlantic hub mainly serves destinations with high demand from local New York traffic.[79]
- New York–LaGuardia (LGA): American's New York hub for domestic flights with a few exceptions.[80]
- Philadelphia (PHL): American's primary transatlantic hub.[81][82]
- Phoenix–Sky Harbor (PHX): American's Rocky Mountain hub.[83]
- Washington–National (DCA): American's hub for the capital of the United States. [84]
Alliance and codeshare agreements
American Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance and has codeshares with the following airlines:[85]
- Aer Lingus
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Alaska Airlines
- Cape Air
- Cathay Pacific
- China Southern Airlines
- El Al
- Fiji Airways
- Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Iberia Airlines
- IndiGo
- JetSmart
- Level[86]
- Malaysia Airlines
- Philippine Airlines[87]
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- Silver Airways
- SriLankan Airlines
- Vueling[88]
Joint ventures
In addition to the above codeshares, American Airlines has entered into three joint ventures.[89]
Atlantic Joint Business
American Airlines is a vital member of the Oneworld Atlantic joint venture on flights across the North Atlantic with European carriers British Airways, Finnair, and Iberia. Aer Lingus, which shares ownership with British Airways and Iberia, has received regulatory approval to join this joint venture.[90][91] Itineraries including flights operated by Oneworld partner Alaska Airlines are sold as part of itineraries in this JV, but Alaska is not a part of the JV.[92]
Pacific Joint Business
American Airlines has a joint venture with fellow Oneworld member Japan Airlines for flights across the Pacific.[93] Combined, the airlines offer 16 daily flights to 9 cities between Japan and the United States with connections possible on Japan Airlines beyond Japan, and on American Airlines throughout North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean.[93] American Airlines has received approval to add additional service between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Haneda Airport in Tokyo, making it the only US airline flying between New York City and Tokyo and the joint venture the leader in frequencies offered between New York City and Tokyo's primary airport.[94][95][96]
Australia and New Zealand Joint Business
In 2019, American Airlines received regulatory approval to enter into a joint business relationship with Qantas covering flights between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.[97][98]
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As of December 2024[update], the American Airlines fleet consists of 977 mainline aircraft, making it the third-largest commercial airline fleet in the world.[99][100][101] American Airlines operates aircraft manufactured by Boeing and Airbus.
Over 80% of American's aircraft are narrow-bodies from the Airbus A320 family and the Boeing 737 family. It is the largest A320 family aircraft operator in the world, as well as the largest operator of the A319 and A321 variants.[102]
American's wide-body aircraft are all Boeing airliners; however, nearly half of the airline's total fleet consists of Airbus aircraft. American Airlines is the world's largest operator of the 787-8, the smallest variant of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.[103]
American exclusively ordered Boeing aircraft throughout the 2000s.[104] This strategy shifted on July 20, 2011, when American announced the largest combined aircraft order in history for 460 narrow-body jets: 260 aircraft from the Airbus A320 family and 200 Boeing 737s, consisting of 100 Boeing 737NG, 100 737 MAX, 130 Airbus A320ceo family and 130 A320neo family.[105][106] Additional Airbus aircraft joined the fleet in 2013 after the merger with US Airways, which operated a nearly all Airbus fleet.[citation needed] As of March 2024, American has 338 aircraft on order from Airbus and Boeing.[107] In addition, an order of 20 Boom Overture supersonic aircraft had been confirmed with Boom Supersonic, with an option for an additional 40.[108].jpg)
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Flagship First and Business seats on an Airbus A321 (top and bottom, respectively)
- Flagship First
Flagship First is American's international and transcontinental first class product. It is offered only on Boeing 777-300ERs and select Airbus A321s, which American designates "A321T". The seats are fully lie-flat and offer direct aisle access with only one on each side of the aisle in each row.[109] As with the airline's other premium cabins, Flagship First offers wider food and beverage options, larger seats, and lounge access at certain airports.[110] American offers domestic Flagship First service on transcontinental routes between New York–JFK and Los Angeles, New York–JFK and San Francisco, New York-JFK and Santa Ana, Boston and Los Angeles, and Miami and Los Angeles, as well as on the standard domestic route between New York-JFK and Boston.[111] The airline will debut new Flagship Suite premium seats and a revamped aircraft interior for its long-haul fleet with fresh deliveries of its Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft, beginning in 2024.[112]
- Flagship Business
Flagship Business is American's international and transcontinental business class product. It is offered on all Boeing 777-200ERs, Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 787-8s, and Boeing 787-9s, as well as select Airbus A321s. All Flagship Business seats are fully lie-flat.[113] The amenities in Flagship Business include complimentary alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages, multi-course meals, and lounge access.
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First class and main cabin seats on a