American Airlines has reported a notable operational performance during this winter holiday travel period, outperforming its major competitors in several key areas despite challenging weather conditions and increased air traffic control delays across the country.
As of January 1, American Airlines has successfully accommodated nearly 7.8 million passengers on over 71,000 flights since December 20. This travel period, set to conclude on January 8, has seen American Airlines leading in completion factor among major carriers. Notably, the airline did not cancel any mainline flights for the first six days of the travel period, resulting in a total of nine days without a mainline flight cancellation. Only 16 mainline flights have been canceled during this holiday season.
In comparison to the 2022 holiday period, American’s on-time departure and arrival rates have both improved by approximately 15%. This enhancement in punctuality is a significant indicator of the airline’s operational efficiency during one of the busiest times of the year.
Further adding to their operational success, American Airlines has made strides in baggage handling. The airline has reported a 66% improvement in the metric that measures mishandled baggage, compared to last year’s holiday period. This improvement is attributed to the airline’s continued investments and focus on baggage handling systems across its network.
American Airlines‘ performance this holiday season reflects their commitment to operational excellence and customer service, even in the face of adverse weather conditions and other operational challenges.
David Seymour, American’s Chief Operating Officer.
“When customers purchase tickets on American, they place their trust in us to deliver a safe and reliable operation, and I’m proud to say that thanks to the hard work of our team members, we delivered on that commitment — despite holiday headwinds, including some challenging weather and increased air traffic control congestion,” said David Seymour, American’s Chief Operating Officer. “We appreciate our federal partners — the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — for their critical roles in making this holiday travel period a success.”