Fort Worth-based American Airlines is profitable for the first time in more than two years without government help as fuller planes and higher-ticket prices overcame expensive fuel and labor costs.
American Airlines reported a $476 million profit on record $13.4 billion in sales during the second quarter. It’s the first time the company has made a profit without government aid since before the COVID-19 recession began, a period in which it totaled more than $12.5 billion in losses.
“Making sure American could take advantage of the continued recovery has been our collective focus, and the second quarter is evidence that our actions are producing positive results,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a letter to employees. “There is no better validation of this than reporting our first quarterly profit since the start of the pandemic.”
