A focus on sustainability at American Airlines

American is working with the FAA to design and execute more efficient descent procedures that allow aircraft to safely glide to airports from cruising altitude, instead of more traditional stair-step descents that require more thrust. It is estimated that these procedures could save up to 11 million gallons of fuel annually at our CLT and PHX hubs. American has also worked with the FAA to develop a program called Terminal Flight Data Manager that saved more than 275,000 gallons of fuel annually at its second-largest hub, CLT, by significantly reducing taxi times.

American operates the youngest mainline fleet among U.S. network carriers, resulting from substantial investment and re-fleeting decisions in recent years. In 2024, American announced orders for 260 new aircraft, including 85 Airbus A321neo, which are designed with sharklets and engines that help make the aircraft 15% more fuel efficient than the previous generation. These orders will add newer, more efficient aircraft to our fleet. Since newer aircraft use fuel more efficiently, the new order will further our work to reach our sustainability goals by reducing fuel consumption and with it, our emissions.

American’s ongoing fleet renewal efforts have helped the airline improve fuel efficiency by more than 10% since 2013, which is an estimated more than 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

American used more than 2.5 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in 2023. SAF agreements for current and future delivery bring the airline’s total low-carbon fuel commitments to more than 620 million gallons.

Agreements with Aemetis and Gevo fulfill roughly 20% of the airline’s goal to replace 10% of its jet fuel with SAF in 2030. SAF deliveries under these agreements are expected to begin in 2025 and 2026.

American has built new smart gating technology that reduces taxiway congestion and the time aircraft spend waiting for available gates. The tool uses real-time routing, runway information and other data, along with machine learning, to automatically assign aircraft to the nearest available gate. Smart gating is currently in use at several hubs and is projected to save more than 1.4 million gallons of fuel annually —enough to fill up 29 Boeing 777-300 aircraft. This reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 13,400 metric tons annually.

American’s cargo division is transitioning to biodegradable plastic wrap for use in its operations, which, in 2022, reduced long-term plastic waste by more than 130,000 lbs., equal to 6.4 million plastic water bottles. While traditional plastic can take up to 1,000 years to break down, the BioNatur Plastics™ wrap now used by American biodegrades in 5 to 10 years in normal landfill conditions. Learn more in Cargo News.

American is the first airline in the world to receive validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its intermediate emissions reduction goal. American’s science-based target is to reduce its carbon intensity by 45% by 2035 compared to a 2019 baseline.

Air Transport World (ATW) named American Airlines its 2023 Eco-Airline of the Year. With the airline’s fleet renewal effort — the most extensive among U.S. network carriers — and rising consumption of sustainable aviation fuel, ATW recognized American’s work to run a more fuel-efficient operation with more fuel-efficient aircraft powered increasingly by low-carbon fuel.

American has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) for the first time, one of only two passenger airlines included in the Index. American also returns to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America) for the third year in a row. DJSI World comprises global sustainability leaders as identified by S&P Global through the Corporate Sustainability Assessment. It represents the top 10% of the largest 2,500 companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria.

In 2022, American received an A- score on CDP’s climate change questionnaire — the highest score among passenger airlines in North America. The airline’s disclosures put American among a few companies worldwide to score that high.

American sources renewable American-made materials for its lounges. The airline evaluates design details for maximum durability and to mitigate landfill accumulation. It also uses LED lighting to maximize energy efficiency. New and redesigned lounges incorporate low-flow plumbing fixtures and building automation, and they maximize the use of natural light and views to the outside.

American teamed up with sleepwear brand RECLINER to produce sustainable sleep suits for use on international long-haul flights. The suits are made by a process that minimizes water waste and uses sustainably recycled plastic bottles (RPET) blended with cotton. Each sleep suit is made from 12 400-ml bottles rescued from landfills. Overall, this program equates to an estimated daily saving of 4,821 bottles from landfills. In flight, American provides bamboo cutlery to Main Cabin customers on select international flights and meal containers made with recycled RPET materials. In partnership with the James Beard Foundation, everything from suppliers to seafood vendors for inflight fish offerings are Smart Catch & Waste Not accredited.

American is helping to catalyze the development of hydrogen to help aviation reach net-zero. American is the only airline to invest in both ZeroAvia a leader in hydrogen-electric, zero-emission aviation, and Universal Hydrogen, which is building a green hydrogen distribution and logistics network for aviation. Both have recently completed successful test flights of their cutting-edge technologies.

Sustainable practices at American’s headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, extend from its operation to its facilities. The campus includes eight buildings that span 300 acres, with the newest buildings designed with sustainability in mind. The newest addition —Skyview 6, the campus Hospitality Complex —is designed to meet LEED Gold standards. Materials used for the new facility are intended to mitigate heat island effects, light pollution and energy usage. As of 2022, 100% of the electricity powering American’s North Texas campus facilities comes from renewable sources.

American’s Living Green Employee Business Resource Group includes more than 480 team members who partner with internal and industry partners to educate team members about sustainability. In 2023, the group organized sessions about local water supply, water conservation and sustainable landscaping.

American’s campus boasts a rich native Texas botanical experience that protects sensitive lands and reduces outdoor water usage. Ninety acres of the campus are preserved woodlands with more than 3,000 newly planted trees onsite and 9.3 miles of walking trails.

American has invested in Vertical Aerospace, which is developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Vertical’s piloted four-passenger VX4 is projected to be capable of traveling distances of about 100 miles at speeds up to 200mph, while producing minimal noise and zero operating emissions.