Short answer
American Airlines Group had about 141,100 active full-time equivalent employees on September 30, 2026, according to its third-quarter 2026 results filed with the SEC on October 22, 2026: 107,700 at mainline American and 33,400 at its wholly owned regional airlines. Its latest 10-K reported about 139,100 on December 31, 2025. About 86% of employees are covered by union contracts.
- Latest figure: about 141,100 active full-time equivalent employees on September 30, 2026 (Q3 2026 results).
- The 2025 10-K reported about 139,100, of whom 106,000 worked at American and 33,100 at Envoy, PSA and Piedmont.
- Headcount fell from 133,700 to 102,700 in 2020 as more than 20,000 people took early retirement or long-term leave, then recovered by 2022.
- About 86% of employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements; flight attendants are the largest union group.
- Revenue per full-time equivalent was about $392,800 in 2025 (our calculation from the 10-K).
On this page
This page is for sellers, analysts and job seekers who need an American Airlines headcount they can cite. American Airlines Group (AAG), the parent of American Airlines and three regional carriers, reports its workforce in two places: once a year in the 10-K and every quarter in the operating statistics of its earnings release, which it files with the SEC on Form 8-K. Every figure below comes from those filings, with the date it applies to.
American Airlines employees by year
| Year end | Active FTE employees | Change on prior year | At American (mainline) | At regional subsidiaries | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 139,100 | +5,800 (+4.4%) | 106,000 | 33,100 | 2025 10-K, filed February 18, 2026 |
| December 31, 2024 | 133,300 | +1,200 (+0.9%) | 102,700 | 30,600 | 2024 10-K, filed February 19, 2025 |
| December 31, 2023 | 132,100 | +2,400 (+1.9%) | 103,200 | 28,900 | 2023 10-K, filed February 21, 2024 |
| December 31, 2022 | 129,700 | +6,300 (+5.1%) | 102,000 | 27,700 | 2022 10-K, filed February 22, 2023 |
| December 31, 2021 | 123,400 | +20,700 (+20.2%) | 96,800 | 26,600 | 2021 10-K, filed February 22, 2022 |
| December 31, 2020 | 102,700 | -31,000 (-23.2%) | 78,300 | 24,400 | 2020 10-K, filed February 17, 2021 |
| December 31, 2019 | 133,700 | +4,800 (+3.7%) | 104,200 | 29,500 | 2019 10-K, filed February 19, 2020 |
| December 31, 2018 | 128,900 | Not split in this filing | 2018 10-K, filed February 25, 2019 |
The mainline figure is from the separate section for American Airlines, Inc. in each 10-K, and the regional figure is AAG's count for its wholly owned regional subsidiaries; together they make up the total. The changes are our arithmetic.
The latest quarter
The third-quarter 2026 earnings release, filed October 22, 2026, reports "full-time equivalent employees at end of period":
| September 30, 2026 | September 30, 2025 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mainline | 107,700 | 104,900 | +2.7% |
| Regional | 33,400 | 32,000 | +4.4% |
| Total | 141,100 | 136,900 | +3.1% |
The release notes that "regional full-time equivalent employees only include our wholly-owned regional airline subsidiaries."
What the number includes
- Active full-time equivalents. The 10-K says "we employed approximately 139,100 active full-time equivalent (FTE) employees." Two half-time employees count as one FTE, and people on leave aren't "active", so the number of individuals on the payroll is higher than the figure shown.
- Mainline plus wholly owned regionals. The total covers American Airlines, Inc. and AAG's wholly owned regional carriers: Envoy, PSA and Piedmont, which fly as American Eagle. Employees of third-party regional airlines that fly American Eagle routes under contract, such as Republic and SkyWest, work for those companies and aren't counted.
- Mostly unionized. "Of the total active FTE employees, 86% are covered by CBAs with various labor unions."
The largest union-represented groups at mainline American, as listed in the 2025 10-K:
| Employee group | Union | Approximate employees |
|---|---|---|
| Flight attendants | APFA | 26,400 |
| Fleet service | TWU-IAM Association | 19,460 |
| Pilots | Allied Pilots Association | 14,970 |
| Mechanics and related | TWU-IAM Association | 13,040 |
| Passenger service | CWA-IBT | 13,030 |
Those five groups account for about 86,900 of the 106,000 mainline FTEs, by our arithmetic. Envoy's largest groups are passenger service (7,730, CWA) and fleet service (4,300, TWU); Piedmont's fleet and passenger service group has 6,750 (CWA).
What changed and why
2020: the pandemic
The active count fell by 31,000 in a year. The 2020 10-K says American "implemented voluntary leave and early retirement programs and decreased our management and support staff team, including officers, by approximately 30%," and that "more than 20,000 team members opted for an early retirement or long-term partially paid leave." It also "involuntarily furloughed certain team members starting October 1, 2020," and recalled those covered by the second federal payroll support program with back pay to December 1, 2020. People on long-term leave weren't active, which is why the 2020 FTE figure dropped so sharply.
2021 to 2026: recovery and growth
The count recovered by 20,700 in 2021 and passed its 2019 level in 2025, at 139,100. By September 30, 2026 it was 141,100. Measured from before the pandemic, the regional subsidiaries have grown faster: from 29,500 FTEs at the end of 2019 to 33,400 in September 2026 (13%), against 104,200 to 107,700 (3%) at mainline American.
Labor is American's largest cost. In 2025, "mainline and regional salaries, wages and benefits were our largest expense and represented 38% of our total operating expenses."
Revenue per employee
AAG's 2025 total operating revenues were $54.6 billion, up 0.8%. $54,633 million ÷ 139,100 = about $392,800 per active FTE (our calculation). In 2024 it was about $406,700 ($54,211 million ÷ 133,300). The figure fell because headcount grew 4.4% while revenue grew 0.8%.
| 2025 operating revenues | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger | $49.6 billion | 90.9% |
| Other operating revenue | $4.2 billion | 7.6% |
| Cargo | $0.8 billion | 1.5% |
The 10-K says the rise in other operating revenue in 2025 was "driven primarily by higher revenue associated with our loyalty program." AAG reports itself as a single operating segment, so there's no split of employees by business line.
Selling to a company this size
General guidance on how airlines of this size buy, not a description of American's internal processes.
- Sell to an operating group. Airlines buy through operations, maintenance, airports, customer experience, loyalty, technology and corporate functions, each with its own leaders and budgets.
- Check what the contracts say. With most staff under collective bargaining agreements, tools that change how pilots, flight attendants, mechanics or agents work can touch negotiated terms. Ask early whether labor relations needs to review.
- Expect safety and regulatory review. Anything near flight operations or maintenance faces FAA rules and long qualification cycles. Start with lower-risk areas if you need a fast first deal.
- Count the subsidiaries separately. Envoy, PSA and Piedmont are distinct airlines with their own management. They can be separate accounts or a route into the group.
Finding the right operating group and contact inside an airline takes time. Bebop researches each account and suggests who to talk to and the angle to open with. Our guide to finding decision makers covers the manual method.
How to check American's headcount yourself
- Open American Airlines Group's filings on SEC EDGAR and pick the latest 10-K.
- Search for "full-time equivalent". The total appears in Item 1, and the notes to the financial statements give the regional and mainline splits.
- For the latest quarter, open the most recent 8-K with Item 2.02 and its Exhibit 99.1. The FTE table is at the end of the operating statistics.
Next step: compare American with other US carriers in the largest airlines.
Sources
- American Airlines Group Reports Third-Quarter 2026 Financial Results (Exhibit 99.1 to Form 8-K), American Airlines Group Inc., via SEC EDGAR, 22 October 2026
- American Airlines Group Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, American Airlines Group Inc., via SEC EDGAR, 18 February 2026
- American Airlines Group Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, American Airlines Group Inc., via SEC EDGAR, 19 February 2025
- American Airlines Group Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, American Airlines Group Inc., via SEC EDGAR, 21 February 2024
- American Airlines Group Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, American Airlines Group Inc., via SEC EDGAR, 22 February 2023
- American Airlines Group Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, American Airlines Group Inc., via SEC EDGAR, 22 February 2022
- American Airlines Group Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, American Airlines Group Inc., via SEC EDGAR, 17 February 2021
- American Airlines Group Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, American Airlines Group Inc., via SEC EDGAR, 19 February 2020
- American Airlines Group Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, American Airlines Group Inc., via SEC EDGAR, 25 February 2019
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many employees does American Airlines have in 2026?
About 141,100 active full-time equivalent employees on September 30, 2026, according to American Airlines Group's third-quarter 2026 results, filed October 22, 2026. That's 107,700 at mainline American and 33,400 at its wholly owned regional airlines, up 3.1% from 136,900 a year earlier. The last 10-K reported about 139,100 at December 31, 2025.
How many pilots and flight attendants does American Airlines have?
American's 2025 10-K lists about 14,970 mainline pilots, represented by the Allied Pilots Association, and about 26,400 mainline flight attendants, represented by APFA. Its wholly owned regional airlines add more: Envoy lists 2,330 pilots and 2,350 flight attendants, PSA 1,930 pilots and 1,370 flight attendants, and Piedmont 840 pilots and 400 flight attendants.
Why did American Airlines' employee count drop in 2020?
Because of the pandemic. American's 2020 10-K says more than 20,000 team members opted for early retirement or long-term partially paid leave, management and support staff were cut by about 30%, and some employees were furloughed from October 1, 2020. Since American counts only active full-time equivalents, people on leave dropped out, and the count fell from 133,700 to 102,700.
Does the count include American Eagle regional airlines?
Partly. It includes AAG's wholly owned regional carriers, Envoy, PSA and Piedmont, which had 33,100 FTEs at the end of 2025 and 33,400 in September 2026. It excludes third-party airlines such as Republic and SkyWest that fly some American Eagle routes under capacity purchase agreements, because their staff work for those companies.
What is American Airlines' revenue per employee?
About $392,800 per active full-time equivalent in 2025, by our calculation: $54,633 million of total operating revenues divided by about 139,100 FTEs at December 31, 2025, both from the 2025 10-K. In 2024 it was about $406,700. It fell because the workforce grew 4.4% while revenue grew 0.8%. Because the count is in active FTEs, revenue per individual employee would be lower.