FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Last night, at a black tie dinner in Dallas, American Airlines honored more than 200 employees celebrating at least 45 years of service and 35 or more years for pilots due to the mandatory retirement age. These special employees’ tenure with the airline combine to total nearly 10,000 years of experience.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eae603a2-9689-4243-b2d2-87e9588df53d
“We feel great about American’s future because of the work that you have done over the years,” said American’s CEO Doug Parker, during remarks at the evening event. “We will continue to honor each of you, by being good stewards of what you have built.”
This year’s honorees began their careers with 11 different heritage carriers including Air Cal, Allegheny, American, Lake Central, Eastern, Mohawk, Ozark, Piedmont, PSA, TWA and USAir. More than 100 employees, and their guests, attended the special event, with a Studio 54 theme, dinner and dancing.
St. Louis based reservations agent Darlene George recalls, “I remember when Allegheny was a small regional carrier and we took delivery of our first jet, a DC9. We were so proud and excited of that, and now I’m excited to have been a part of the world’s largest carrier!”
“The Service Anniversary event was unexpected and wonderful,” said recently retired DFW based pilot Thomas St. Denis. “After 37 years as a pilot I’m walking into retirement with a great feeling.”
“I thought I’d work as a flight attendant for five years, and here I am 40 years beyond what I originally thought,” remembered DCA based flight attendant Claudia Frye. “I don’t think anything can stop American from being the greatest airline in the world. I’m so grateful to be here tonight celebrating with my colleagues."
About American Airlines Group
American Airlines and American Eagle offer an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American has hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. American is a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members and members-elect serve nearly 1,000 destinations with 14,250 daily flights to 150 countries. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. In 2015, its stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.