American Airlines unveils plans for centennial celebration with new logo and commemorative video

In addition to introducing the new logo, American Airlines has produced an anthem video for its upcoming anniversary on April 15. The video aims to "highlight historic and present-day images of its fleet, global network and team members." The company traces its origins back to when a small operator flew mail from St Louis to Chicago. Reflecting on this history, American Airlines noted that while "no one knows exactly how the first conversation went," it likely began with "'What if…?'" Over time, these early ideas led to innovations such as carrying passengers alongside mail—resulting in aircraft like the Douglas DC-3—and launching industry firsts including airport lounges and loyalty programs.

Today’s American Airlines operates a mainline fleet of 1,001 aircraft according to ch-aviation data. Its fleet includes narrowbody jets from Airbus and Boeing; Boeing supplies all widebody planes currently in service. The carrier serves 362 destinations across 63 countries through a network covering more than 1,300 routes.

Recent analytics from Cirium indicate that this month alone American Airlines scheduled over 176,000 flights offering more than 21 million seats. With another 302 aircraft on order—mainly narrowbodies from Airbus and Boeing—the airline continues expanding its reach.

As it approaches this significant milestone next year, American Airlines looks back at its growth from delivering mail with one plane to becoming one of the world’s largest airlines.