American Airlines Invests $1.1 Billion in Team Member Training and Development, Empowering Employees With New Skills and Career Growth Opportunities
Originally published in American Airlines' 2023 Sustainability Report
Training and development are vital to giving our team members the tools and resources they need to do their best. Our company training programs provide opportunities for career growth as well as professional and personal development. Our annual performance review process for eligible team members reinforces our focus on equipping them with the skills they need to succeed while also aligning their goals with the company's objectives.
American spent $1.1 billion on functional and professional development training in 2023, almost $8,000 per person. Below are a few of our most important programs:
New Hire Orientation. We believe that all new team members should receive a welcoming experience that empowers them with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to succeed in their roles. That’s why new team members across all divisions of the company complete this orientation within 30 days of being hired. It is grounded in American’s purpose to care for people on life’s journey, introduces our culture and articulates our support of our workforce and customers. In 2023, nearly 14,000 team members spent 38,000 hours in this orientation. Participants completed self-paced modules and attended a live welcome session with leaders.
Women’s Leadership Program. This program fosters a community that connects, develops and supports female leaders and pilots. Men are welcome as allies. Learning sessions last for about an hour, and they are followed by networking receptions that enable women leaders and pilots to engage with each other. The Women’s Leadership Program includes valuable mentoring opportunities as well. We had more than 300 participants at 10 different women’s leadership and development events in 2023.
Learning Hub. This is our primary learning management system and home base for all mandatory, safety and regulatory compliance training. In 2023, Learning Hub processed more than 9 million course registrations, with an average of 119,372 unique users accessing the system every month.
2023 Training and Development Hours
Mainline Operations
- Airports and Cargo
Airports and Cargo receives role-specific technical and safety training. 1.95 million
- Flight Operations
Flight Operations — which consists of all pilots — undergoes a significant amount of training, including time spent in the simulator, annual and recurrent evaluations, onboarding for new hires and instructor-to-instructor training. 1.07 million
- Inflight
Inflight encompasses our flight attendants, who undergo a significant amount of safety and technical training in addition to data security and specialized courses such as human trafficking awareness. 1.37 million
- Reservations
Reservations training includes customer service, technical and compliance training. 1.05 million
- Technical Operations
Technical Operations — or maintenance — professionals undergo a significant amount of safety training in addition to technical courses. 910,400
Regional Carriers
Training for our regional carriers — Envoy, PSA and Piedmont — includes a mixture of web-based and in-person courses related to safety, compliance and many role-specific offerings. Workgroups covered include pilots, flight attendants, maintenance staff and, in some cases, dispatchers and customer service representatives. The aggregation includes new-hire and recurrent training. Envoy: 1.68 million Piedmont: 898,400 PSA: 681,400
Management and Support Staff
Management and support staff largely fulfill corporate functions, and training varies greatly by position. The hours reflected include mandated and role-specific courses, as well as professional development opportunities. 374,400
Team member training totaled more than 9.9 million hours in 2023, averaging approximately 70 hours per person.
Bringing employees together for training and development
Each year, thousands of team members from around the globe visit American’s 300- acre Skyview campus in Fort Worth for training. Some are new hires, while others come to complete their annual recertification or prepare for new roles. Our Skyview 6 hospitality complex, which opened in January 2023, has simplified this experience by hosting visiting team members on-site. It has also provided greater opportunities for collaboration.
In its first year of operation, more than 40,000 team members took advantage of its convenient location and many amenities. In addition to its 600 guest rooms, Skyview 6 includes study lounges on each guest floor, multiple dining options, a fitness center, outdoor exercise pool and courts for basketball, tennis, pickleball and volleyball.
