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09/21/2026

A bigger future in the Valley: American selected to anchor Phoenix’s new West Terminal

  • Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) has selected American Airlines as the primary airline carrier for its future West Terminal, deepening the airline’s long-standing commitment to Phoenix and Arizona.
  • The future West Terminal will be the airport's first new terminal in nearly 40 years, creating the capacity, amenities and infrastructure needed to transform the customer experience and support Phoenix's continued growth as a global gateway.
  • As Phoenix's largest airline, American operates more than 300 peak daily departures from PHX, connecting customers across the Southwest to more than 100 destinations, including Alaska, Hawaii and London.

PHOENIX — Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) today announced American Airlines as the primary airline carrier for its future West Terminal, the airport's first new terminal in nearly 40 years.

The selection reinforces American's nearly century-long commitment to Phoenix and positions Sky Harbor for its next phase of growth as a global gateway. Together, American and PHX will continue a decades-long partnership that will strengthen global connectivity, enhance the customer experience and support the region's continued growth.

"Phoenix is a critical part of American's network, and we're excited to continue to invest in the airport and this region's future,” said American Airlines CEO Robert Isom. ”American is Phoenix's largest airline, carrying more than 20 million customers through Sky Harbor annually and employing 8,000 team members across Arizona, and we are proud to partner with the City of Phoenix and Sky Harbor on a vision that will support continued growth, create jobs, strengthen global connectivity and deliver an even better experience for our customers with much-needed new premium spaces. The future West Terminal will further connect Phoenix to destinations around the world, strongly positioning the city to lead the next generation of travel by driving economic opportunity, tourism and global business connections for the region.”

As Phoenix’s largest airline, American accounts for approximately 40% of Sky Harbor traffic and serves more than 20 million customers annually. The airline operates more than 300 peak daily departures from PHX to more than 100 destinations, connecting Arizona and the broader Southwest to destinations across North America, Hawaii, Europe and beyond.

“Phoenix Sky Harbor is a powerful economic engine for our state, and it’s the gateway for business opportunity and tourism,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said. “The West Terminal is a game-changing investment in our economic future and will help us continue to welcome travelers with best-in-class service, set a new standard for the passenger experience and meet the needs of our growing community. I’m looking forward to working with American Airlines as our anchor tenant in this exciting endeavor.”

American and its predecessors have served Phoenix since 1930 and have helped shape Sky Harbor into the aviation hub it is today, including the introduction of the region’s first scheduled jet service in 1960 with the arrival of the Boeing 707. The West Terminal marks the latest investment in American's continued confidence in Phoenix as one of the nation's fastest-growing cities and an increasingly important gateway to the world.

“After completing months of careful analysis, the Aviation Department selected American Airlines as the anchor tenant for this new West Terminal,” said PHX Aviation Director Chad Makovsky. “We look forward to working with American and all airlines at Sky Harbor to ensure we deliver thoughtful, affordable and operationally efficient facilities that continue to elevate the passenger experience while ensuring we are well prepared to meet the region’s future air travel demands.”

The future West Terminal is part of Phoenix Sky Harbor’s Destination PHX 2050, a development program that will guide the airport’s capital investments. For more information, visit Destination PHX 2050.

About American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL)
American Airlines is a premium global airline connecting more of the U.S. to the world. With roots tracing back to an air mail carrier in the Midwestern United States in 1926, American now operates more than 6,000 daily flights to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries and serves more than 200 million customers annually. Powered by a proud and talented team of 130,000 aviation professionals, American’s team lives out the airline’s purpose of caring for people on life’s journey every day.

The world’s largest airline proudly celebrates its centennial year in 2026, reaching a milestone that reflects a century of innovation and the Forever Forward℠ spirit that changed the industry and the world. American introduced the first scheduled air cargo service, the first airport lounge and the first airline loyalty program and continues to reinvent the customer experience today. The airline is also a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members serve more than 900 destinations around the globe.

Get the latest about American at news.aa.com and @AmericanAir.

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