American Airlines joins Blue Lightning Initiative to combat human trafficking

American Airlines has announced an expansion of its efforts to combat human trafficking by joining the Blue Lightning Initiative. This initiative, a collaboration with the US Department of Transportation and the US Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection, focuses on training airline personnel to identify potential traffickers and victims.

Gary Tomasulo, American Airlines Vice President of Corporate Security, emphasized the importance of this initiative in fighting human trafficking. "American has long partnered with law enforcement to help fight human trafficking, and we are proud to deepen our partnership by joining the initiative," he stated.

The airline's involvement in anti-trafficking efforts is not new. In 2020, American Airlines became a signatory of Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking through a DOT initiative. Before joining the Blue Lightning Initiative, it was part of the Blue Campaign under DHS's Center for Countering Human Trafficking.