Environmental, Social, Governance at American

Addressing climate change

At American, we know that the challenge of climate change is acute and imminent, and we recognize our industry’s contribution to it. We believe we have an obligation to our customers, team members, shareholders and the communities we serve to transition to operating a low-carbon airline. To make that happen, we have set aggressive climate goals that match the seriousness of the challenge, and we’ve laid out a clear plan for how we will achieve them.

Our climate goals

* SBTi Validated Goal

Illustration of an airplane with clouds in background

Carbon anatomy of a flight

Many factors determine the amount of GHG emissions associated with a particular flight. Fuel efficiency of the aircraft is a key factor, but it’s not the only one — and efficiency itself is influenced by a complex set of variables. Here are the main determinants of a flight’s carbon footprint:

Aircraft design

Modern aircraft incorporate many features to save fuel, including the use of lightweight materials, aerodynamic design and more fuel-efficient engines.

Distance of flight

The takeoff and climb phases of a flight burn more fuel than the cruising or landing phases, which makes shorter flights less fuel efficient than long-haul flights.

On the ground

Single-engine taxiing and the use of high-speed tugs reduce the amount of jet fuel needed to move aircraft on the ground. And operators plug into grid electricity at the gate, which is typically less carbon intensive than using the plane’s auxiliary power.

Type of fuel

While the vast majority of aviation fuel used today is petroleum-based, sustainable aviation fuel from renewable feedstocks can cut life cycle carbon emissions related to fuel by up to 80%.

Illustration showing planes on an airport tarmac

One way airlines measure fuel efficiency and GHG intensity is by dividing absolute fuel use or emissions by revenue ton miles (RTM). RTM is the weight of revenue-generating passengers and cargo, and it — along with GHG intensity — is affected by the following factors:

Seats on a plane

The number of seats on a given aircraft varies depending on how it is configured — such as the space devoted to first-class seating, galleys and bathrooms — and the design of the seats themselves.

Number of passengers

While the number of seats on a plane determines the maximum passenger capacity, any given flight may operate with fewer passengers. Operating at or close to the maximum capacity increases fuel efficiency.

Cargo

Many passenger flights also carry cargo, which may include mail and items like medicines that need to get to their destinations quickly. This adds payload and increases efficiency.

Pathway to net zero

Our strategy for reaching net zero emissions by 2050 is focused on running an ever more fuel-efficient operation, with more fuel-efficient aircraft, powered by low-carbon fuel.

More about our pathway to net zero >

Sustainable aviation fuel

Purchasing and helping scale the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) — which reduces life cycle emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional fuel — is the cornerstone of our climate strategy this decade.

More about sustainable aviation fuel >

Sustainable operations

We work to improve environmental sustainability across all of our operations — from how we construct and power our facilities to how we source the products we provide to our customers on board and in our lounges.

More about sustainable operations >

Enabling our customers to offset their flights

American partners with Cool Effect, a leading nonprofit provider of carbon offsets, to give our customers the opportunity to easily estimate the emissions of their flight and purchase high-quality offsets. Cool Effect uses more than 90% of each offset dollar to fund a portfolio of high-quality, verified carbon reduction projects that protect and conserve our planet’s resources.

Learn more about Cool Effect (opens in new tab)

Aligning with the Task Force on Climate-Related Disclosures

American aligns its ESG reporting with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Our 2021 ESG Report details our analysis of the climate-related risks and opportunities we face and how those are informing our ongoing risk management and business, strategy and financial planning processes.

Download 2021 ESG Report

Visit our ESG Resource Center for links to numerous American Airlines documents, policies, webpages and other sources of information about our company’s approach on various ESG topics.

Visit our ESG resource center