Better Health for All

American Airlines' core service of air transportation has significant negative health impacts, evidenced by $111,775,214 in penalties for safety-related offenses across 768 records since 2000, and $8,010,000 in air pollution penalties in 2005.

The company's safety record includes $110,848,944 in penalties for aviation safety violations across 702 records since 2000. While the company offers free preventive health screenings and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to six free counseling sessions per issue per year for employees and household members, these are internal benefits and do not offset the broader negative health impacts of its principal services. The company supports external health organizations like Make-A-Wish and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through mile donations, but the scale of these contributions relative to revenue or overall health impact is not provided. The company acknowledges its operations impact the environment and is committed to minimizing CO2 emissions. Risk transparency is limited to general statements about providing clear information on sustainability issues and publishing a Sustainability Report and Cybersecurity Policy Statement, without specific details on health risk disclosures related to its services.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

American Airlines reported a CEO to median employee pay ratio of 191-to-1 in 2024.

Approximately 87% of active full-time equivalent employees, totaling about 133,300, were represented by various labor unions as of December 31, 2024. The mainline injury rate was 8.33 and the regional injury rate was 6.67 total recordable cases per 200,000 hours worked in 2024, with zero work-related fatalities. As of February 2024, women earned 99 cents for every $1 earned by men in similar jobs, and people of color earned $1 for every $1 earned by white team members in similar jobs. Employee survey results from 2025 indicated low satisfaction, with 26.4% of employees feeling leaders made the right decisions for frontline team members, 27.8% feeling leaders made the right decisions to support them, and 28% feeling leaders listened to understand the frontline experience. The total voluntary turnover rate was 9% in 2024. The U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA charged American Airlines with retaliating against flight attendants who reported illness due to toxic fumes, issuing a proposed penalty of $6,837 in January 2023. Approximately 86% of team members were enrolled in medical coverage during annual enrollment, and dental plan enrollment was above 90%.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

No specific, quantitative data was found in the provided articles for any of the KPIs related to Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing. While articles mention American Airlines' supplier diversity program and an increase in spending with diverse suppliers (18% more in 2017, 7.4% more in 2023 for certified diverse suppliers, and over 10% more for small businesses in 2023), these figures represent year-over-year increases, not the percentage of the total procurement budget directed to these suppliers.

The company also outlines commitments and policies regarding human rights, including the prevention of forced and child labor, and conducts some audits, but no data is provided on fair-trade certification coverage, audit frequency, forced/child labor incidents, supply chain traceability, remediation speed, ethical clause coverage, or high-risk materials spend.

Honest & Fair Business

American Airlines has incurred over $54 million in ethics-related regulatory fines in the past three years. This includes a record $50 million fine from the U.S. Transportation Department for disability protection violations,

a $4.1 million fine for tarmac delay violations, and a proposed $6,837 fine from OSHA in 2022 for retaliating against flight attendants. While the company has a whistleblowing policy, a dedicated hotline, and states it does not tolerate retaliation, OSHA found that American Airlines retaliated against flight attendants in 2022. The company has an Anti-Bribery and Allowable Gifts, Hospitality and Donations Policy with a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption, and all employees are required to undertake annual Financial Crime training, which includes an assessment. However, the effectiveness of this training is not publicly measured. The company's consolidated financial statements and internal controls are subject to third-party verification by an Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. The Board of Directors consists of members considered independent, with the exception of the CEO, indicating approximately 92% of the board is conflict-free.

Kind to Animals

American Airlines does not have animal-derived products, animal testing operations, or animal husbandry operations, resulting in N/A scores for several KPIs. The company has a policy to not accept animals transported for research, with the exception of lab mice and rats, and adheres to the AVMA recommendation against sedating pets for travel.

It transports lab mice and rats. The company added vegan creamer to its in-flight menu last fall and is trialing a corn and vegan egg hash made with Just Egg on select morning flights. However, the company still sources eggs and poultry, with no specific percentage of cage-free sourcing mentioned, and the article highlights the suffering of hens in the egg industry, including confinement and mutilation. In October 2018, American Airlines breached International Air Transport Association (IATA) standards by transporting two huskies in cages too small, resulting in a £10,000 fine. The company admitted fault and agreed to remind staff of regulations. American Airlines Cargo does not transport wild game trophies of elephant, lion, water buffalo, rhinoceros, or leopard, nor shark fins and shark fin products. In 2022, American Airlines joined the Transport Taskforce of United for Wildlife and signed the Buckingham Palace Declaration, committing to combat illegal wildlife trade. In 2023, 95% of frontline Cargo team members completed wildlife awareness training, and over 40 Cargo stations displayed informational posters. The company is the first official airline partner of the National Park Foundation, encouraging AAdvantage® members to donate miles to support the NPF. However, there is no measurable biodiversity impact of these initiatives. The company does not formally collaborate with animal welfare stakeholders or engage in animal-free R&D collaboration. While it adheres to various regulations for animal transport, it does not have a public position on animal welfare legislation or actively advocate for higher standards.

No War, No Weapons

American Airlines' primary business activity is passenger and freight air transportation services. The company's 2023 Sustainability Report focuses on general sustainability efforts within the airline industry, such as climate change and decarbonization, and explicitly states it does not contain data relevant to arms or defense contracts.

This indicates no defense or arms-related activities in its core business.

Planet-Friendly Business

American Airlines' total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 were 55,200,000 tCO₂e, comprising 39,947,000 tCO₂e for Scope 1, 128,000 tCO₂e for Scope 2 (market-based), and 15,125,000 tCO₂e for Scope 3.

The company has externally validated, science-based GHG reduction targets for 2035, approved by SBTi, aiming to reduce carbon intensity by 45% by 2035 (Scope 1, 2, and Scope 3 from jet fuel production/consumption by regional carriers) and Scope 2 emissions by 40% by 2035, both against a 2019 baseline. Progress is tracked and reported annually in its ESG report. American Airlines aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. In 2024, 28.4% of its direct electricity was sourced from renewable energy. The company's recycling diversion rate was 25% in 2024, with a target of 50% by 2030. In 2024, American Airlines had 2 environmental notices of violation and paid $0 in environmental fines, but previously paid a $95,000 civil penalty for a Clean Air Act violation in 2025. The company's report generally aligns with relevant sections of the TCFD. American Airlines conducted its first climate scenario analysis in 2020 and more detailed analyses in 2022 and early 2023, with plans to re-examine physical risks in 2025. In 2024, the company replaced over 274,000 pounds of traditional plastic with BioNatur Plastics in cargo operations. Three buildings at American’s corporate headquarters and several Admirals Club lounge locations have received LEED Gold or Silver certification. Nearly all pillows, duvets, and blankets for flights are made with recycled fibers, and sleep suits use 12 recycled plastic bottles per suit. The company partnered with Ecovadis to receive sustainability ratings and assessments for key suppliers in early 2025. Approximately 55% of total capital expenditures in 2024 were allocated to efforts that also provide decarbonization benefits. American's corporate headquarters includes 90 acres of preserved woodlands and 3,000 newly planted trees. The company aims to partner with suppliers who promote biodiversity and eliminate deforestation, as outlined in their Sustainable Supply Chain Policy.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

The provided articles do not contain specific quantitative data points for any of the KPIs related to Respect for Cultures & Communities. While some articles discuss general corporate responsibility

, internal diversity and inclusion initiatives , and allegations of racial discrimination , they lack the concrete metrics required by the rubric, such as the number of formal partnerships with indigenous groups, percentage of revenue reinvested in local community development, or details on cultural impact assessment protocols. Therefore, no KPIs can be scored based on the evidence provided.

Safe & Smart Tech

American Airlines has experienced multiple data breaches within the last three years. In September 2022, a phishing campaign led to a breach affecting a small number of customers and employees, exposing personal information including addresses, phone numbers, driver's licenses, passports, and medical information.

Additionally, a third-party vendor, Pilot Credentials, was breached in April 2023, April 2024, and April 2025, each time impacting approximately 5,700 American Airlines applicants and exposing sensitive data such as names, Social Security numbers, passport numbers, dates of birth, and driver's license numbers. In February 2026, a cyberattack on its subsidiary, Envoy Air, compromised a limited amount of business and commercial contact details, though customer or sensitive data was not affected. The company has a governance framework for AI to ensure safe, secure, and responsible use. For security training, over 95% of frontline Cargo team members completed wildlife awareness training in 2023, and mandatory data security awareness training is conducted annually for all team members, including phishing tests. The company's privacy policy states that personal information related to travel or program services is generally retained for up to seven years after travel completion or membership termination, and biometric data is destroyed within three years of last interaction or when its purpose is satisfied. American Airlines uses NIST security standards and engages external experts for annual cybersecurity program evaluations. It maintains a responsible disclosure program for external parties to report security concerns and has a process to remediate identified vulnerabilities based on threat levels. The company's privacy office regularly conducts privacy impact assessments and coordinates with IT to incorporate privacy design requirements into systems. American Airlines states it takes reasonable steps to safeguard data but limits liability for unauthorized access. Users have the right to access, update, and delete their personal information, with responses provided within 30 days, extendable by two months in some cases. The company complies with TSA Secure Flight program requirements and provides booking and travel data to border control agencies in various countries, including the US, UK, EU, Uruguay, and Brazil. The Hub Efficiency Analytics Tool (HEAT) uses an advanced algorithm to dynamically adjust flight schedules, and computer vision uses machine learning to gather insights for injury prevention. The company's terms and conditions state that American Airlines may offer or integrate certain Artificial Intelligence Tools and associated features, and by using them, users authorize American and its third-party service providers to access, use, and store any inputs and outputs for machine learning purposes. The company also states that it cannot guarantee unauthorized access to private information and limits liability for damages arising from third-party unauthorized access to user information, confirmation codes, credits, or gift cards, except in cases of American Airlines' fraud, gross negligence, or willful misconduct.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

American Airlines Cargo reduced long-term plastic waste by over 274,000 lbs in 2024, equivalent to 12.6 million plastic water bottles, by replacing traditional plastic with BioNatur biodegradable plastic.

This represents a nearly 100% increase from the 6.4 million equivalent reduction in 2022. The biodegradable plastic wrap, which is also 100% recyclable, biodegrades in 8-12 years compared to 1,000+ years for regular plastic. This initiative expanded from major US hubs in 2022 to include regional domestic and international stations. The company composted over 419,000 pounds of preconsumer food waste in 2023 at its DFW catering facility and Admirals Club. American Airlines uses recycled RPET materials for meal containers and provides bamboo cutlery on select international flights, with sleep suits made from 12 recycled plastic bottles each. Three buildings at American Airlines corporate headquarters are LEED-Gold certified. The company has set a science-based target to reduce carbon intensity by 45% by 2035 compared to a 2019 baseline, and aims to replace 10% of its jet fuel with SAF by 2030. Fleet renewal efforts have improved fuel efficiency by over 10% since 2013.