American, AirlineGeeks.com hosting contest winners on behind-the-scenes tours of the airline’s facilities for American’s own #AAviationDay

FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines will open its doors to self-described “airline geeks,” enthusiasts who prefer morning jet fuel in lieu of coffee to get their blood moving, Aug. 17 in celebration of National Aviation Day. The holiday, officially observed Aug. 19, was established in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to celebrate the development of aviation as well as Orville Wright’s birthday.

“Our 130,000 team members take great pride in caring for more than 500,000 customers across the globe each day,” said Chairman and CEO Doug Parker. “We’re thrilled to showcase their important work for the third year in a row with a group of young enthusiasts whose passion for aviation may eventually lead them to careers with American.”

A total of 150 winners of an AirlineGeeks.com contest and invited guests from local community organizations will enjoy behind-the-scenes tours of airports, maintenance hangars, operations centers and more at 13 locations across the United States and in the United Kingdom. The group will also have access to and be able to learn from American’s aviation professionals.

“Thanks to our friends at American Airlines, many of our members will get a special, behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating world of commercial aviation,” said 19-year-old AirlineGeeks.com Founder and CEO Ryan Ewing. “We’re looking forward to our third year in a row of learning more about the industry from American’s team members and building relationships with them.”

Aviation enthusiasts can follow the festivities of the day by searching #AAviationDay on social media.

About American Airlines Group
American Airlines and American Eagle offer an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American has hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. American is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, whose members serve more than 1,000 destinations with about 14,250 daily flights to over 150 countries. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. In 2015, its stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.