The American Airlines issued the following news release:
AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines, Inc., today announced its ranking as one of the top companies recognized in Newsweek's annual environmental list of the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States. For the third consecutive year, AMR received the best ranking among U.S. airlines and the second best performance in the transportation and logistics category.
"Being honored in the Newsweek Green Rankings is a direct result of the passion and dedication of our people to making American Airlines a better steward of the environment," said David Campbell, American's Vice President - Safety, Security and Environmental. "Reducing our carbon footprint is a core commitment that our people take very seriously, and this is reflected through our many successful environmental programs."
American was also recognized for its environmental reporting. This category evaluates the adequacy, completeness and quality of company sustainability reporting, and includes measurement and disclosure of environmental impacts and involvement in key transparency initiatives.
In collaboration with leading environmental research organizations, Newsweek annually evaluates the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. by size according to revenue (most recent fiscal year), market capitalization, and number of employees. Companies are ranked by their overall Green Score, which is determined by their environmental footprint, management of that footprint and sustainability communications.
American is committed to minimizing its environmental impact throughout all operations and maintaining transparency of its efforts. A number of programs, as well as grass-root initiatives implemented by American's people, contribute to the airline's success in reducing its footprint. Key areas of focus include:
* Fuel Conservation: Fuel Smart is American's employee-led effort that was launched in 2005 to safely reduce fuel consumption. Thanks to the dedication of American's people, more than 700 million gallons of fuel have been saved and 7 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have been eliminated since the program began. Furthering this commitment to save fuel - and an estimated $1.2 million in annual savings - in August 2012, American became the first commercial carrier to receive FAA approval to use the Apple iPad as an Electronic Flight Bag in the cockpit during all phases of flight.
* Recycling: American's flight attendants recycled more than 12 million aluminum cans in 2011 - as much weight as four Boeing 737 aircraft. They also collect and recycle corks from wine bottles. Also in 2011, American's maintenance bases and airports recycled 1,300 tons of cardboard and paper and more than 1,200 tons of metal.
* Fleet Renewal: Putting more fuel-efficient planes in the air is the most effective way to reduce the company's carbon footprint. In July 2011, American placed the largest aircraft order in aviation history: 460 narrowbody jets from Boeing and Airbus to be delivered in 2013 through 2022. These new aircraft will provide significant environmental benefits over the aircraft they will replace. For instance, a new Boeing 737 offers a 35 percent improvement in fuel economy over an MD-80, and it's much quieter. American will have the youngest, most fuel-efficient fleet by 2017.
* ecoDemonstrator: In 2010, Boeing established the ecoDemonstrator program through the FAA's Continuous Lower Energy Emissions Noise (CLEEN) program, to accelerate the advancement of environmental technologies. The program emphasizes emerging technologies in the areas of fuel efficiency, noise reduction and operational efficiency. American is the first airline to participate in the initial test phase, and allowed Boeing to borrow one of its new 737-800 aircraft for flight testing that began in August 2012. The ecoDemonstrator flight test program allows Boeing and American to accelerate promising technologies and move them onto airplane models and into new aircraft design considerations across the industry.
* Airspace Modernization: American also advocates for and leads industry-wide developments in Area Navigation, or RNAV. Developed to maximize the use of available airspace without compromising safety, RNAV conserves fuel and reduces CO2 emissions by moving planes via the most efficient, often shorter, flight path. Currently, RNAV procedures are in place at five major airports, with more airports to follow.
American produces an annual Corporate Responsibility Report that provides a summary of the company's sustainability objectives and performance as it relates to four key focus areas: customers, employees, the environment and communities. The report includes the company's many efforts to manage its environmental footprint, as well as detailed environmental and sustainability goals and progress.
To learn more about American's environmental efforts and view the 2011 Corporate Responsibility Report, visit www.AA.com/CorporateResponsibility.
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