American joins Blue Lightning Initiative to continue fight against human trafficking

FORT WORTH, Texas - During National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, American Airlines announced it is expanding its collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) by becoming a member of the Blue Lightning Initiative (BLI). This effort focuses on training airline and aviation personnel, ensuring they have the tools to better identify potential traffickers and victims.

"The U.S. Department of Transportation is proud to partner with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and American Airlines to train aviation personnel on how to recognize indicators of and report human trafficking suspicions." said Julie Abraham, Director of the Office of International Transportation and Trade, U.S. Department of Transportation. "This partnership highlights the commitment of airlines to combat human trafficking in the aviation sector and spread awareness to members of the traveling public.

The training offered by BLI will be part of a company-provided training for tens of thousands of American's flight attendants, pilots, customer service representatives and other team members to recognize the indicators of human trafficking and take appropriate action. In total, American trains an upwards of 70,000 team members each year on this important topic.

Prior to joining BLI, American was in partnership with the Blue Campaign, which is now a part of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, a national public awareness effort to educate the public, law enforcement and industry partners about human trafficking. In 2020, American became a Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking (TLAHT) signatory through DOT's TLAHT initiative to maximize the transportation industry's collective effort to combat human trafficking.

In early 2024, American's Professional Women in Aviation Employee Business Resource Group hosted human trafficking awareness sessions with either DHS or other partners at the following five locations: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR).

American remains dedicated to protecting human rights, including combating human trafficking and child exploitation, through partnerships such as It's A Penalty, Protecting All Children from Trafficking (PACT), New Friends New Life (NFNL) and Texas Businesses Against Trafficking (TBAT). In 2024, American donated miles to It's A Penalty and PACT to support their work.

Through BLI and other programs, American will continue to uphold its commitment to combat human trafficking and fulfill its purpose to care for people on life's journey.

About American Airlines Group
As a leading global airline, American Airlines offers thousands of flights per day to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries. The airline is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, whose members serve more than 900 destinations around the globe. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. Learn more about what's happening at American by visiting news.aa.com and connect with American @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines. To Care for People on Life's Journey®.

Anyone who suspects human trafficking is encouraged to report it to law enforcement - tips can be submitted anonymously online or by calling 866-347-2423. Individuals can also contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or humantraffickinghotline.org.