From Bloomberg:
American ย Airlines is considering placing an order for Airbus’ proposed A321XLR to replace its 34 aging Boeing 757-200s (top).
Read the full story.
Top Copyright Photo: American Airlines Boeing 757-23N WL N204UW (msn 30886) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 946641.
American Airlines aircraft slide show:
American Airlines made this announcement:
American Airlines is expanding its long-haul services to and from Munich: Effective immediately, the carrier is offering daily flights with a Boeingย 787-8 Dreamliner to the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area in the US state of Texas, departing from Munich at 10:55ย am.
The Texan metropolis boasts top sports teams such as the Dallas Mavericks (basketball) and the Dallas Cowboys (football), authentic cowboy culture and plenty of wide open spaces. American Airlines now has a daily connection from Munich to its largest hub. In Dallas, passengers can catch flights to 174 destinations in 44 US states. There are also connections to 40 destinations in 18 countries in the Caribbean and Central and South America, included 18 in Mexico alone.
The flight from Dallas to Munich departs daily at 15:10. Visitors to Munich will find such fascinating highlights as Baroque architectural masterpieces and world-class museums in a thriving cultural metropolis located amid charming scenery at the foot of the Alps. It’s all about the mix in this fascinating city, where modern lifestyles blend harmoniously with Bavarian traditions, high-tech companies with legendary breweries, and a thriving business sector with endless leisure options. Visitors will enjoy fine culinary delights mixed with a myriad of cultural arts opportunities, from outdoor concerts to regal operas and lissome ballets.
Photo: Munich Airport. Cutting the ribbon at MUC.
American Airlines made this announcement:
American Airlines completed the next step in its journey of unprecedented growth today as the airlineโs schedule at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) grew to more than 900 daily flights for the first time this summer. The milestone enables more than 9,000 one-stop travel possibilities through DFW โ more than any other airline hub in the world.
As previously announced, American is focused on strengthening its network by expanding operations at its most profitable hubs, with the majority of new flying being added at DFW and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). The airline has been incrementally adding 100 flights at DFW this summer, including inaugural service this week to Dublin (DUB); Munich (MUC); and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (SDQ). Throughout 2019, American has started service from DFW to 23 new markets and increased service to more than 80 existing markets. This growth marks the airlineโs largest expansion at DFW in more than a decade.
Map: DFW International Airport.
To facilitate the growth at DFW, beginning today, American will operate mainline flights from gates B5 to B12 in Terminal B. These gates were previously used by American Eagle but have been resized to accommodate mainline aircraft and connect more customers. In May, the airline expanded its footprint to include 15 new gates in the Terminal E satellite, which now supports more than 100 daily regional flights for American Eagle service. The completely renovated space includes refreshed ticket counters and gate areas as well as new ramp lighting, moving walkways, elevators and escalators. Later this year, American will also open a new Admirals Club in Terminal E, providing travelers with access to a lounge within any of DFWโs five terminals.
โMore than 104,000 customers will journey through DFW every day this summer and our recent investments ensure DFW will remain a premier gateway while providing customers with a world-class experience,โ said Cedric Rockamore, Vice President of DFW Hub Operations for American. โTo our DFW team members, itโs already been a big summer here at DFW, and I canโt thank you enough for all youโve done to care for our customers and your colleague as part of this journey.โ
American has also been investing in the premium customer experience at DFW. Last month, the airline opened its newest Flagship Lounge. The 35,000-square-foot lounge provides customers traveling in Flagship First and Flagship Business an opportunity to refresh, unwind or work before their flight with quiet spaces for taking a rest, lounge-style seating, luxury showers, ample wireless chargers and a variety of hot and cold entrees. In addition, Flagship First customers have access to Flagship First Dining, Americanโs complimentary, fine-dining restaurant experience.
Americanโs renovated Admirals Club lounge in Terminal D has also re-opened with an updated modern look, more power outlets, showers and space to relax. Guests have access to complimentary food, snacks and beverages, including an exclusive label from master sommelier Bobby Stuckey. The Admirals Club also features local craft beers from breweries in Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston.
From Business Insider:
American Airlines’ current CEO, Doug Parker, originally was the CEO of America West Airlines when he saw an opportunity to grow the company when he saw weakness in a struggling fellow carrier. He acquired and merged bankrupt US Airways with America West. The more appropriate US Airways name and brand was adopted.
Next, another opportunity came when American Airlines went into bankruptcy. Parker orchestrated a buyout and strategic merger of US Airways with American Airlines when it came out of bankruptcy. Once again the larger company’s name was adopted. As a result of the merger, the current day American Airlines is the largest airline in the world.
Peal the paint away of some AA Airbus A320s and you will find the America West roots.
This is really the story of how upstart America West Airlines (a new airline of the deregulation era) under CEO Doug Parker became the largest airline in the world through two acquisitions and two name adoptions.
Read the full story.
Above Copyright Photo: America West Airlines Airbus A320-232 N657AW (msn 1083) LAX (Bruce Drum). Image: 101107.
America West Airlines aircraft slide show:
America West September 7, 2005 Route Map:
American Airlines made this announcement:
Eight veterans of the D-Day invasion, which marked a major turning point in World War II, arrived in France on Monday and Tuesday aboard American Airlines flights from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Miami (MIA).
The airline hosted many of them and their guests at a luncheon Sunday at the CR Smith Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. The event included a Color Guard flag presentation and a national anthem performance. After lunch, these esteemed members of the Greatest Generation traveled to Paris (CDG), where they were greeted with cheers, waving flags and a water cannon salute.
โThese veterans fought so bravely to give us the freedom to fly that we have today,โ said Philippe Serafino, General Manager at CDG for American Airlines. โOur team members in Paris are always looking for ways โ big and small โ to express their infinite gratitude to the individuals who fought to liberate France and serve the Allied cause during the war.โ
In Paris, the group, which includes two veterans who havenโt been back to Normandy since the days following June 6, 1944, will join their fellow soldiers, sailors and airmen to observe reenactments of the invasion and participate in ceremonies commemorating their bravery and service to the nation and the world.
โI feel this will be closure for me because I had turned down going a long time ago,โ said Jack Gutman, a U.S. Navy corpsman first class on D-Day. โHaving my son with me to experience what I went through and for him to see it in a different light and understand what I went through is so important to me.โ
โIโm overwhelmed and speechless,โ added Carl Felton, a U.S. Navy petty officer first class on D-Day. โI couldnโt be more excited and more humbled with all of the praise that has been heaped upon us.โ
The flights and luncheon are part of a larger initiative American is supporting alongside Let Freedom Ring, a nonprofit organization founded by D-Day veteran George Ciampa, who is on the trip. Four American team members are also volunteering their personal time to accompany the D-Day veterans in support of that organization.
โAfter serving 27 years and multiple deployments, I have a small sense of sacrifice these World War II veterans gave to this country,โ said ORD-based First Officer John Gorse, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force who is on the trip. โTheir service truly saved the world from the darkest of days. Iโm sure the feeling they felt on that day 75 years ago will come rushing back and there is no way to describe that terror. They survived so we could survive as a nation.โ
All photos by American Airlines.
Between June 6 and June 8, 2019 American Airlines is adding 23 new routes to its vast network of more than 6,800 daily flights. And then, on June 13 and June 15, the growth continues when American begins service to Halifax, Nova Scotia (YHZ), from Philadelphia (PHL) and New York (LGA).
American proudly offers the only direct service from its hubs to key destinations throughout its network, which is important when time is of the essence. For customers looking for history and culture this summer, American is the only airline with direct flights to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (SDQ), from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT). American is also the only carrier to provide a convenient escape from New York to Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC).
American Airlines and QANTAS Airways welcome the U.S. Department of Transportationโs tentative approval of the carriersโ joint business to better serve customers flying between the United States and Australia and New Zealand.
Final approval of the joint business will allow for commercial integration between the carriers, delivering new routes and significant customer benefits not possible through any other form of cooperation, including:
As part of the case put to the DOT, Qantas and American flagged an intention to launch several new routes within the first two years of the proposed joint business. Qantas expects to announce details of two new routes โ Brisbane, Australia (BNE)โChicago (ORD) and BNEโSan Francisco (SFO) โ once final approval is received.
American and QANTAS Airways will review the Order, with a final decision from the DOT expected in the next few weeks.
American Airlines is adding two new international routes to Honduras from its Dallas/Fort Worth hub.
According to Airline Route, the carrier will add service to Tegucigalpa on June 6 and San Pedro Sula on June 7 with Airbus A319s.
Top Copyright Photo: American Airlines Airbus A319-132 N801AW (msn 889) ONT (Michael B. Ing). Image: 946606.
American Airlines aircraft slide show:
Joint Statementย from APFA National President and TWU International President
Instead of investing in its workers, American Airlines has chosen to enrich their executives with hefty compensation packages and bonuses at the cost of customer service and employee morale. Theyโve saddled employees with unfair contracts and failed to address the consistently low rankings that leave AA dead last of the big three airlines for flight delays and customer complaints.
Blaming and attacking their employees and the unions that represent them will do nothing to improve Americanโs ranking or the future of this once great airline.
From NBC Nightly News:
By Jay Blackman and Michelle Cho
American Airlines, whose Boeing 737 MAX fleet was grounded, along with the rest of the worldwide Max fleet in the wake of two fatal crashes involving two carriers in Ethiopia and Indonesia, is committed to the planes once they are recertified by the Federal Aviation Administration.
In an exclusive interview with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt, AA Chairman and CEO Doug Parker said that โthere is an absolute fixโ for the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
โThere’s one that we will all be comfortable with, or the aircraft won’t be recertified. And our pilots are gonna agree with that, or the aircraft won’t fly,” Parker said in his first television interview since the planes were grounded.
American Airlines’ fleet of 24 Boeing 737 MAX 8 was grounded by the FAA in March. American, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines are the only three airlines in the United States that operate the aircraft.
American has canceled all Boeing 737 MAX flights through August 19, approximately 115 flights per day.
In March, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane, crashed shortly after takeoff en route to Nairobi, killing all 157 on board, including eight Americans. Lion Air flight JT610, on a brand new Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed after takeoff from Jakarta last October with 189 passengers and crew.
Investigators believe both crashes were caused by an anti-stall system called MCAS.
Parker admits restoring confidence in the flying public is a challenge, even after the plane is approved to return to flight.
โAccidents like this, tragedies like this, are you know horrific,โ he said. โNow in our case, weโve always believed that, that airplane with our pilots, with our training was an airworthy aircraft. But we’re not, we’re not, itโs not for us to decide whether or not the aircraft flies. It needs to be safe for everyone.โ
The FAA has invited civil aviation authorities around the world to meet Thursday to discuss the agencyโs safety analysis and plan to return the Boeing 737 MAX fleet to service. Parker said his pilots are heavily involved with discussions with the FAA about required training for pilots.
Boeing says it has completed the updated MCAS software for the 737 MAX but is yet to complete a test flight with FAA pilots on board.
โIt’s incredibly important to us, that we get to a point where the entire aircraft aviation community feels comfortable that this airplane is ready to get back in the air. And when it is, we’ll be flying in it,โ Parker said.
โIf that airplane has been certified by the FAA, and it’s being flown by American pilots or Southwest pilots or United pilots, we all will know that it’s 100 percent safe to fly,” he said.
As one of the largest airlines in the world, American Airlines and its regional partner American Eagle, offer almost 6,700 flights to 350 destinations in more than 50 countries daily. The airline says it is investing in new planes, entertainment systems and satellite Wi-Fi, available soon on all domestic flights, that will allow everyone on the aircraft to stream live television.
โNow with satellite, which has much more bandwidth, allows everyone to actually have a new level of service. Customers that experience that don’t want to go back,โ Parker said. โBut in general, what our customers really, really value, always have and always will, is reliability. Aircraft that are ready to go on time and that arrive at their destinations on time, allow people to make connections.โ
Parker said that American Airlines will continue to make the passenger experience a top investment.
โWhat you’re gonna see as we move forward is us competing much more on product, than you’ve ever seen before,โ he said. โWe’re in an arms race basically of airlines trying to figure out what we can do for our customers.
Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline): American Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 N316RK (msn 44450) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 946586.
American Airlines aircraft slide show (Boeing):
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