American Airlines Celebrates National Aviation Day With Plane-Spotting ‘Aviation Geeks’

FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 18, 2017 -- On Aug. 18, the eve of National Aviation Day, American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) will open its doors to self-described “airline geeks,” enthusiasts who prefer morning jet fuel in lieu of coffee to get their blood moving.

AAviation Day participants photograph an American Airlines 777-200 at London Heathrow Airport. AAviation Day 2017 Airline Geeks

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“American is delighted to host more than 170 AirlineGeeks.com winners around the world as we celebrate National Aviation Day,” said Doug Parker, chairman and CEO of American Airlines. “Many of these young enthusiasts may someday work for American and be the aviators of tomorrow, and they are getting a great head start by getting a firsthand look at our team members’ talents and professionalism.”

The behind-the-scenes tours will include airports, hangars, operation centers and more, providing winners of an AirlineGeeks.com contest an infusion of the smells of jet fuel and new plane interiors, the roar of a takeoff and the squeal of tires on landing. The groups will also have access to and be able to learn from American’s top-notch group of professional team members.

“National Aviation Day is intended to celebrate the industry’s achievements and the people who make the magic of flight happen,” said 18-year-old Ryan Ewing, president and founder of AirlineGeeks.com, a worldwide, passionate following of self-proclaimed “aviation geeks.”

The holiday was established in 1939 by Franklin D. Roosevelt to celebrate the development of aviation as well as Orville Wright’s birthday.

More than 170 tickets to the tours were made available to followers of AirlineGeeks.com, and they were snapped up within minutes after going online in early June. This will be the second year for American to commemorate the day with AirlineGeeks.com and other aviation bloggers and enthusiasts. AirlineGeeks.com has over 22,000 Twitter followers via its @AirlineGeeks account.

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 serve more than 1,000 destinations with about 14,250 daily flights to over 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.

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