American Airlines Names Fred Cleveland to Oversee Its Base Maintenance Operations

FORT WORTH -- American Airlines today announced that U.S. Navy Capt. Fred Cleveland will become vice president of base maintenance and will oversee American's three maintenance bases in Tulsa, OK, Fort Worth, TX, and Kansas City, MO. His appointment is effective Jan. 28, 2008.

Cleveland joins American after a 28-year career in Naval aviation maintenance. In his last assignment, he served as the commanding officer for the Naval Aviation Enterprise Fleet Readiness Center in San Diego, CA, with responsibility for leading all phases of the Navy's largest airframe aviation industrial activity, including the repair and overhaul of both U.S. Marine corps and Navy carrier tactical aircraft and helicopters.

In his new position, Cleveland will oversee all maintenance, repair and overhaul activities at American's three aircraft and engine bases where more than 9,000 employees work. He will be based in Tulsa.

"Fred Cleveland is an exceptional addition to the American Airlines base maintenance team," says Carmine Romano, senior vice president of maintenance and engineering. "He has proven his ability to lead and deliver results in one of the highest-pressured and highest-demanding environments -- the United States Navy. We will benefit greatly from Fred's nearly three decades of experience in aviation and aircraft maintenance."

In his military career, Cleveland also oversaw the day-to-day maintenance operations, engineering and logistics support for aircraft at the Naval Air Depot in North Island, CA, which included all carrier-based Navy aircraft and all west coast marine corps and Navy helicopters. He also was the Naval air forces maintenance officer for flight-line operations on eight Naval air stations, 12 aircraft carriers and 160 squadrons. He is a former Blue Angel and the maintenance officer for the Navy fighter weapons school, "Top Gun".

Cleveland earned a bachelor's of science degree in engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master's degree in business administration from the Naval postgraduate school. He also holds designation as a certified professional logistician from the Society of Logistics Engineers. He received flight training at the Naval air station in Pensacola, FL.