February 12, 2014

American Airlines Cargo set a new system-wide record in January for the total amount of cargo carried on one of its new B777-300ER aircraft.

American's ground handling team in Los Angeles (LAX) loaded flight 136 with 103,384 pounds (46,894 kilos) of freight on Jan. 21, marking the first time the airline has carried a six-digit load. The cargo was built into 14 containers and included dense seasonal vegetables such as carrots, asparagus, green onions, potatoes and celery.

The new total tops the previous record of 97,237 pounds (44,990 kilos), which was set by teams in New York Kennedy (JFK) in November 2013.

"There's a healthy level of competition among our hubs right now to see who can generate the most freight on our new aircraft," said Andy Baum, Managing Director of Cargo Operations in Los Angeles. "Our B777-300ER allows us to carry more cargo than ever before, and as we introduce it into various new markets, the race is on. I'm incredibly proud of the collaboration that goes on between our teams and the pride they take in making sure our cargo customers' needs are met." 

While the flight was destined for London, a majority of the cargo continued onto Amsterdam, Dubai, Kuwait and Riyadh.

Currently, American operates the 777-300ER between London Heathrow (LHR) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), New York Kennedy (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX) and Miami (MIA). It also flies the aircraft between Sao Paulo (GRU) and New York Kennedy (JFK) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW).

On June 11, American will begin new service with the B777-300ER between Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Hong Kong (HKG).

 

About American Airlines Cargo

American Airlines Group is the holding company for American Airlines. American provides one of the largest cargo networks in the world with cargo terminals and interline connections across the globe.

Every day, American transports cargo between major cities in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia. Together with wholly owned and third-party regional carriers operating as American Eagle, the airlines operate an average of approximately 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in over 50 countries from its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington DC.

This year, American Airlines Group Inc. topped Fortune Magazine's list of best business turnarounds and its stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.