FORT WORTH, Texas, July 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) today reported its second-quarter 2026 financial results, including record quarterly revenue, driven by strong demand for American’s product and solid commercial execution.

Second-quarter highlights:

• Record revenue ?of $16.7 billion, up 16.3% year ?over ?year, the highest quarterly revenue ?in ?company ?history, ?driven ?by ?strong ?performance ?across American's four commercial pillars.
• Strong demand and execution that offset nearly 50% ?of the ?over $2.2 ?billion year-over-year fuel expense increase.
• GAAP net income of $71 million, or $0.11 per diluted share.
• Adjusted net income of $99 million¹, or $0.15 per diluted share.
  

“American delivered year-over-year revenue growth of more than 16% in the second quarter, exceeding our initial expectations and continuing the momentum we’ve built across the business,” said American’s CEO Robert Isom. “This performance reflects the strength of our commercial strategy, driven by our four pillars: elevate the customer experience, grow the global network, drive premium revenue and lead in loyalty. Revenue growth was strong across all entities and cabins, with premium, Main Cabin, domestic and international all up meaningfully year over year. These results demonstrate that our revenue performance and efficiency efforts will continue to drive improved results, and I’m excited about the remainder of 2026 and what’s ahead in 2027 and beyond. Thank you to the American Airlines team for their outstanding execution on our commercial and operational objectives during the quarter.”

The strength of American’s revenue performance and continued efficiency efforts helped to offset a challenging fuel environment. Fuel expense increased by over $2.2 billion, or 83% year over year. American was able to offset nearly 50% of this fuel headwind in the second quarter through higher fares. Fuel prices have remained volatile in recent weeks. Based on the forward fuel curve as of July 21, American expects third-quarter fuel expense to be up $1.7 billion year over year. The company is focused on mitigating the impact of higher fuel expense through robust demand for American’s product and the continued execution of its four-pillar strategy. 

Revenue performance
The company’s second-quarter results were driven by strong revenue performance across all entities and cabins:

• Premium continued to outperform with passenger unit revenue up 13.4%, while Main Cabin also performed well with passenger unit revenue up 8.8% compared to the second quarter of 2025.
• Domestic demand rebounded nicely year over year with passenger unit revenue growth of 10.6%.
• International demand was strong across all entities, with passenger unit revenue for the Atlantic entity up 8.9%, the Pacific entity up 15.1% and the Latin America entity up 6.6% compared to the second quarter of 2025.
• Demand for business travel also remained strong in the second quarter, with managed corporate revenue increasing 26% year over year.
  
  

Elevate the customer experience
American continues to invest in the customer experience, resulting in a 5-point year-over-year improvement in its Net Promoter Score (NPS) in the second quarter. For on-time flights, American saw its NPS increase for the 15th time in the past 17 months. In May, the company announced plans to install Starlink high-speed Wi-Fi on its fleet beginning in 2027, further advancing onboard connectivity and the overall customer experience.

The company continues to expand and enhance its Admirals Club^® and premium lounge network to deliver a more premium experience across the customer journey, including new and upgraded amenities in key locations such as New York (JFK) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), in addition to previously announced plans for Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT), and Miami (MIA).

Grow the global network
American remains focused on optimizing its network to drive profitable growth, supported by continued expansion in high-demand international markets. In the second quarter, the company launched new nonstop routes to Europe, including service to Budapest, Hungary, and Prague from Philadelphia (PHL) and to Athens, Greece, from DFW, further strengthening its position in the premium trans-Atlantic market. American was also the first U.S. carrier to return to Venezuela, with service from MIA to Caracas, reinforcing its leading position in Latin America.

Across its domestic network, the airline continues to enhance connectivity and efficiency through investments in its hubs. These initiatives include the successful rebanking of DFW, which improved customer connectivity and operational performance at its largest hub. This effort reduced system misconnections in the quarter by nearly 25% year over year, improving customer satisfaction scores. This initiative also supported better financial performance at DFW, where unit revenue increased 4 points above the system average in the second quarter. The company also continues to bolster its key hubs at Chicago (ORD), MIA, PHL and Phoenix (PHX).

The company’s capacity grew 5.4% year over year in the second quarter, and the operation remained resilient throughout the quarter, with on-time arrival performance improving 2.8 points year over year.

Drive premium revenue
American continues to see momentum in its premium revenue performance, supported by strength in both corporate and premium leisure demand. The airline is adding premium seats with deliveries of new Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR aircraft and retrofits of its 777-300ER, 777-200ER, A319 and A320 aircraft. This summer, American will offer more premium seats than any other airline.

Managed corporate revenue increased 26% year over year in the second quarter, with sequential improvements each month. This marks the fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in managed corporate revenue for American.

The company is also taking disciplined actions to maximize revenue, including updates to its checked bag fee structure and Basic Economy offerings. These initiatives contributed to a 5-point increase in the upsell rate from Basic Economy to Main Cabin for tickets sold during the second quarter.

Lead in loyalty
The industry-leading AAdvantage^® program remains a key driver of customer engagement and revenue. The program continues to benefit from strong member activity and ongoing enhancements to the co-branded credit card program, reinforcing its role as a powerful contributor to both loyalty and premium demand. Enrollments in the AAdvantage^® program grew more than 30% year over year in the second quarter. American’s co-branded credit card partnership with Citi is a clear example of the strength of its loyalty ecosystem with year-over-year second-quarter card spend growing 8%.

Efficiency and cost performance
American continues to benefit from long-term investments to build a more efficient and resilient airline.

“Over the past several years, we’ve made focused investments in procurement, technology and continued efforts to reengineer the business to run the airline as efficiently as possible while enhancing the customer experience,” said American’s Chief Financial Officer Devon May. “Those efforts are enabling more efficient capacity production and are reflected in our CASM-ex² performance, which was up approximately 3% year over year.”

Balance sheet and liquidity
The company continues to strengthen its financial foundation and ended the second quarter with $11.3 billion of total available liquidity. During the quarter, the company completed several financings that bolstered liquidity and addressed its only meaningful maturity in 2027. The company remains committed to reducing debt, lowering interest expense and achieving its leverage objectives.

Outlook and financial guidance
Revenue momentum is expected to continue into the second half of the year, supported by strong demand for American's products. The company remains focused on expanding margins over time through continued revenue execution and the benefits of its multiyear efficiency initiatives.

In the third quarter, the company expects year-over-year revenue growth to be between 16.0% and 19.0%. Based on the forward fuel curve as of July 21, American anticipates an average fuel price of approximately $3.75 per gallon for the third quarter and expects CASM-ex² to increase 2.5% to 4.5% year over year. Given the recent increase in the cost of fuel, the company is now expecting full-year adjusted earnings (loss) per diluted share³ to be between ($0.65) and $0.65.

Conference call and webcast
American will host a conference call at 7:30 a.m. CT today. A live webcast and replay will be available at aa.com/investorrelations.

Notes
See the accompanying notes in the financial tables section of this press release for further explanation, including reconciliations of certain GAAP to non-GAAP financial information.

1. Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP financial measure and includes $28 million of net special items after the effect of taxes that the company recognized in the second quarter.
2. Cost per available seat mile (CASM) excluding net special items, fuel and profit sharing (CASM-ex) is a non-GAAP measure. The company is unable to reconcile certain forward-looking information to GAAP as the nature or amount of net special items cannot be determined at this time.
3. Adjusted earnings (loss) per diluted share guidance excludes the impact of net special items and represents an absolute number, not a year-over-year comparison. The company is unable to reconcile certain forward-looking information to GAAP as the nature or amount of net special items cannot be determined at this time.
   
   

About American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL)
American Airlines is a premium global airline connecting more of the U.S. to the world. With roots tracing back to an air mail carrier in the Midwestern United States in 1926, American now operates more than 6,000 daily flights to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries and serves more than 200 million customers annually. Powered by a proud and talented team of 130,000 aviation professionals, American’s team lives out the airline’s purpose of caring for people on life’s journey every day.

The world’s largest airline proudly celebrates its centennial year in 2026, reaching a milestone that reflects a century of innovation and the Forever Forward^SM spirit that changed the industry and the world. American introduced the first scheduled air cargo service, the first airport lounge and the first airline loyalty program and continues to reinvent the customer experience today. The airline is also a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members serve more than 900 destinations around the globe.

Get the latest about American at news.aa.com and @AmericanAir.

Use of websites and social media to disclose information
American routinely uses the investor relations section of its website as well as its social media pages, including on Facebook and X, and its newsroom at news.aa.com, to disclose important information about American Airlines Group Inc. and its subsidiaries and to comply with its disclosure obligations under Regulation Fair Disclosure. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the company’s website, social media channels or newsroom is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document, and all website addresses in this document are intended to be inactive textual references only.

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements and information
Certain of the statements contained in this report should be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “continue,” “seek,” “target,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “if current trends continue,” “optimistic,” “forecast” and other similar words. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the company’s plans, objectives, expectations, intentions, estimates and strategies for the future, and other statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are based on the company’s current objectives, beliefs and expectations, and they are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and financial position and timing of certain events to differ materially from the information in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, downturns in economic conditions could adversely affect our business; we will need to obtain sufficient financing or other capital to operate successfully; our high level of debt and other obligations may limit our ability to fund general corporate requirements and obtain additional financing, may limit our flexibility in responding to competitive developments and may cause our business to be vulnerable to adverse economic and industry conditions; if our financial condition worsens, provisions in our credit card processing and other commercial agreements may adversely affect our liquidity; the loss of key personnel whom we depend on to operate our business, or the inability to attract, develop and retain additional qualified personnel could adversely affect our business; our business has been and will continue to be materially affected by many changing economic, geopolitical, commercial, regulatory and other conditions beyond our control, including global events that affect travel behavior; the airline industry is intensely competitive and dynamic; union disputes, employee strikes and other labor-related disruptions may adversely affect our operations and financial performance; if we encounter problems with any of our third-party regional operators or third-party service providers, our operations could be adversely affected by a resulting decline in revenue or negative public perception about our services; any damage to our reputation or brand image could adversely affect our business or financial results; risks of losses and adverse publicity from any public incidents involving our company, people or brand; changes to our business model that are designed to increase revenues and reduce costs may not be successful and may cause operational difficulties or decreased demand; our intellectual property rights, particularly our branding rights, are valuable, and any inability to protect them may adversely affect our business and financial results; we may be a party to litigation in the normal course of business or otherwise, which could affect our financial position and liquidity; we rely heavily on technology and automated systems, including artificial intelligence, to operate our business, and any failures could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition; evolving data privacy requirements could increase our costs, and any significant cybersecurity incident could disrupt our operations, harm our reputation, expose us to legal risks and otherwise materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition; we are exposed to risks from cyberattacks, and any cybersecurity incidents involving us, our third-party service providers, or one of our AAdvantage partners or other business partners; we have a significant amount of goodwill, which is assessed for impairment at least annually. We may never realize the full value of our intangible or long-lived assets, causing us to record material impairment charges; the commercial relationships that we have with other companies, including any related equity investments, may not produce the returns or results we expect; our business is very dependent on the price and availability of aircraft fuel. Continued periods of high volatility in fuel costs, increased fuel prices or significant disruptions in the supply of aircraft fuel could have a significant negative impact on consumer demand, our operating results and liquidity; our business is subject to extensive government regulation; we can be adversely affected by any prolonged partial or full U.S. Government shutdown; we operate a global business with international operations that are subject to economic and political instability and have been, and in the future may continue to be, adversely affected by numerous events, circumstances or government actions beyond our control; we may be adversely affected by conflicts overseas, terrorist attacks or other acts of violence, domestically or abroad; the travel industry continues to face ongoing security concerns; we are subject to risks associated with climate change, including increased regulation of our greenhouse gas emissions, changing consumer preferences and the potential for increased impacts of severe weather events on our operations and infrastructure; we are subject to various risks associated with environmental and social matters, and many forms of environmental and noise regulation; a shortage of pilots or other personnel could materially adversely affect our business; we depend on a limited number of suppliers for aircraft, aircraft engines and parts. Delays in scheduled aircraft deliveries, unexpected grounding of aircraft or aircraft engines whether by regulators or by us, or other loss of anticipated fleet capacity, and failure of new aircraft to receive regulatory approval, be produced or otherwise perform as and when expected, adversely impacts our business, results of operations and financial condition; we rely on third-party distribution channels and must effectively manage the costs, rights and functionality of these channels; if we are unable to obtain and maintain adequate facilities and infrastructure throughout our system and, at some airports, adequate slots, we may be unable to operate our existing flight schedule and to expand or change our route network in the future; interruptions or disruptions in service at one of our key facilities; increases in insurance costs or reductions in insurance coverage, and heavy taxation of the airline industry; risks related to ownership of AAG common stock; and other risks set forth herein as well as in the company’s latest annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 (especially in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors and Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations) and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q (especially in Part I, Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors), and other risks and uncertainties listed from time to time in the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Additionally, there may be other factors of which the company is not currently aware that may affect matters discussed in the forward-looking statements and may also cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed. The company does not assume any obligation to publicly update or supplement any forward-looking statement to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting these forward-looking statements other than as required by law. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof or as of the dates indicated in the statement.

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