American Airlines has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) for the first time, one of only two passenger airlines included in the Index. American also returns to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America) for the third year in a row.

The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index comprises global sustainability leaders as identified by S&P Global through the Corporate Sustainability Assessment. It represents the top 10% of the largest 2,500 companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria.

"Inclusion on the DJSI World recognizes our work to improve the reliability of our operation, invest in our team members and operate more sustainably," said American's CEO Robert Isom. "We are honored to be recognized for our progress."

Industry-leading operational reliability

- American leads the industry in on-time departures year-to-date and major U.S. network competitors in completion factor.

- Based on a sampling of approximately 3 million customer surveys, American's Likelihood to Recommend (LTR) score - a key satisfaction indicator - reached a record high in 2022.

Investing in team members

- In 2023, the airline reached a four-year agreement with its pilots, represented by the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which will deliver more than $9 billion of compensation and quality-of-life benefits to American's 15,000 pilots.

- American received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index, the nation's foremost benchmarking survey measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

Enhancing our sustainability efforts

- American led the industry by setting the first 2035 carbon intensity target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.

- More recently, American entered into an innovative offtake agreement for an advanced form of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to be produced by Texas-based Infinium. American's offtake agreement is a critical enabler of further investment in Infinium's work to produce SAF from waste carbon dioxide and renewable power.

- American also signed on as the inaugural customer of Graphyte, a carbon removal startup backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which is pioneering a method of permanent carbon removal that uses significantly less energy and at a substantially lower cost, relative to existing carbon removal approaches.

American's 2022 Sustainability Report provides updates on the company's strategy and progress on key issues over the past year. It affirms American's focus on the sustainability issues most important to its business and stakeholders, including climate change, customer and team member safety, team member professional development and customer service. More information on American's sustainability strategy is available at https://www.aa.com

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the aviation industry, with travel restrictions and flight cancellations severely impacting air travel over the past three years. Business aviation was one of the most impacted air travel sectors, as organizations opted for virtual meetings or found other ways to engage remotely with their clients and colleagues.

However, business travel has since rebounded, with many companies reporting that corporate travel budgets have returned to pre-pandemic levels despite the increased cost of airfare, according to Morgan Stanley. Executives at Airbus Corporate Jets anticipate that 2023 will see a higher number of business professionals choosing to fly on private or chartered flights. While surely welcome, what impact does this resurgence of flight demand have on the well-being of pilots?

Pilot Shortages and Fatigue

Even before the pandemic, it was predicted that a shortage of pilots was forthcoming, as members of the baby-boom generation neared the federally mandated retirement age of 65. At the same time, the costs and time required to obtain a pilot certification have continued to rise, serving as a major deterrent for individuals considering aviation as a career choice. The broader airline industry estimated a shortage of nearly 8,000 pilots in 2022. Unfortunately, this shortage is likely to persist.

Analysts predict that the industry will be faced with a shortage of nearly 24,000 pilots by the year 2026, which is equivalent to the elimination of approximately 23% of the current pilot workforce. With decreasing availability of qualified labor and rising air travel demand, the industry is acutely feeling the challenge. And pilots are carrying the burden with more work hours, declining productivity and increased fatigue.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects the airline industry as a whole to post a net profit of $4.7 billion in 2023. Perhaps this inflow of capital will help stimulate new investments to help tackle the problem of pilot fatigue. Ultimately, it is up to air operators to create safer working conditions for pilots and attract the skilled personnel needed to meet air travel demand safely and reliably.

The Causes of Pilot Fatigue

While the persistent shortage of pilots plays a significant role in pilot fatigue, there are other factors to consider. Flight delays due to antiquated IT systems and scheduling issues are also to blame. In April 2022, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association reported record-setting fatigue levels.

According to the organization’s president, Casey Murray, “A lot of our delays and issues that we’re having have to do with scheduling and connecting pilots with airplanes. It is inefficient scheduling processes that are affecting when we work in a very dynamic environment.” This is becoming not only a problem for aviation in the United States but globally. According to the Australian Transport Bureau, a third of pilots have reported removing themselves from duty because of fatigue, an action they unfortunately felt was looked down upon by superiors.

On top of scheduling practices, an often overlooked source of pilot fatigue is individual factors. A new baby at home. Online courses. A medical condition that makes it difficult to achieve high-quality sleep. The list of what can influence a pilot’s ability to get adequate rest each day is long and varied, but the fact remains: Arriving for duty rested and alert is as much a function of what’s going on at home as it is linked to the schedule at work. Just losing 30 to 60 minutes of sleep a night can quickly create a sleep debt that contributes to pilot fatigue.

Managing Pilot Fatigue Amid Increasing Air Travel Demand

As part of their overarching commitment to safety, air operators have a duty to remain aware of the dangers of pilot fatigue and take the necessary steps to mitigate risk. A key step toward this objective is to implement a comprehensive Fatigue Risk Management Program (FRMP).

An FRMP employs multi-layered defensive strategies to manage fatigue-related risks regardless of their source. It includes data-driven, ongoing adaptive processes that can identify fatigue hazards as they appear, perform risk assessments, implement and evaluate controls and mitigation strategies and monitor performance. A successful FRMP allows the organization to conduct operations not only more safely, but also more efficiently.

This flexibility is crucial to help the organization meet rising demand with resources that are fixed or expanding more gradually. A guide for utilizing fatigue risk management systems created in partnership with IATA, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) can help aviation businesses implement these invaluable tools.

Pulsar Informatics helps air operators develop and implement a complete FRMP that integrates fatigue risk management directly into their workflows. Our products are designed to enable operators to actively manage fatigue to not only improve safety and save costs but also manage growing demand and help meet evolving regulatory requirements.

The Global Aerospace SM4 Safety Program has revolutionized the way insurance specialists help their clients achieve higher levels of operational safety. SM4 was built on the concept of integrating four critical safety components: planning, prevention, response and recovery. Its mission is to help organizations manage risk, enrich training efforts, strengthen safety culture and improve safety management systems.

Travel + Leisure Co. announced that U.S. News & World Report has named the company among its inaugural 200 Best Companies to Work For.

The list, an expansion of U.S. News’ Careers offerings, provides a look at the 200 best publicly traded companies across sectors and industries to help employees and job seekers make decisions about workplaces that may be a good fit for them.

The inaugural list factors in evolving employee sentiment of what makes a workplace the “best” to work for and analyzes that sentiment and other information to evaluate quality of pay and benefits, work-life balance and flexibility, job and company stability, physical and psychological comfort, belongingness and esteem, and career opportunities and professional development.

“Our associates are the heart of Travel + Leisure Co., and they are driven by a shared commitment to deliver exceptional and inspirational vacation experiences for our owners, members, and guests every day,” said Kimberly Marshall, Chief Human Resources Officer of Travel + Leisure Co. “Our global organization is fueled by our people-first, inclusive environment where our culture pillars of care, fun, opportunity, and impact empower us to create lasting memories as we put the world on vacation.”

To calculate the U.S. News Best Companies to Work For list, U.S. News only considered companies that were a part of the Russell 1000 index as of June 2022 and had more than 75 employee reviews written in 2022.

DiversityInc. recently released its 2023 Top Companies for Diversity list. Travel + Leisure Co. was named to the DiversityInc 2023 Noteworthy Companies list, which is comprised of companies whose data indicates they have the potential to make the DiversityInc Top 50 list. The list recognizes large U.S. employers that model fairness in their talent strategy, workplace and supplier diversity practices and philanthropic engagement. The company was also named a Top Company for Talent Acquisition for Women of Color.

Since 2001, DiversityInc has been assessing companies across a broad range of metrics, including leadership accountability, human capital metrics, talent programs, workplace practices, supplier diversity and philanthropy.

For more information about Travel + Leisure Co., please visit travelandleisureco.com. To explore career growth and opportunities with our team, please visit careers.travelandleisureco.com.

About Travel + Leisure Co.

As the world’s leading membership and leisure travel company, Travel + Leisure Co. (NYSE:TNL) transformed the way families vacation with the introduction of the most dynamic points-based vacation ownership program at Club Wyndham, and the first vacation exchange network, RCI. The company delivers more than six million vacations each year at 245+ timeshare resorts worldwide, through tailored travel and membership products, and via Travel + Leisure GO - the signature subscription travel club inspired by the pages of Travel + Leisure magazine. With hospitality and responsible tourism at the heart of all we do, our 18,000+ dedicated associates bring out the best in people and places around the globe. We put the world on vacation. Learn more at travelandleisureco.com.

Levarté Travel, a leading host agency dedicated to lifting up professionals in travel, is delighted to recognize and celebrate its top 10 sales producers of 2022. As a company that places a strong emphasis on fostering an environment of growth and success, Levarté Travel takes great pride in acknowledging the outstanding achievements of its rising stars. The announcement was made at the agency's second annual retreat, hosted in Riviera Maya, Mexico.

Lori Speers, CEO and founder of Levarté Travel, expressed her admiration and gratitude for the accomplishments of the top advisors. Speers stated, "We are incredibly proud of our members who have thrived in the supportive environment that our agency has worked hard to create. Their passion, resourcefulness, knowledge and love of travel have earned them this achievement, and we look forward to seeing what they do in the future."

Levarté Travel's commitment to providing exceptional resources, forging partnerships with industry associations and suppliers and offering a supportive community have been pivotal in cultivating a culture of achievement. The agency believes in fostering an environment that empowers travel business owners to excel and reach new heights.

And as Levarté Travel continues to earn top accolades from respected industry partners, it remains committed to lifting up professionals and providing them with the tools they need to thrive. The agency looks forward to celebrating the achievements of its rising stars and supporting them as they continue to shape the future of the travel industry. To learn more about Levarté Travel, visit www.levartetravel.com.

About Levarté Travel

Levarté Travel provides resources for travel enthusiasts to turn their passion into a thriving business. Led by travel industry veteran and CEO Lori Speers, Levarté Travel enables independent advisors to achieve financial freedom, explore the world through fun and unique experiences, and create unforgettable memories for clients. Levarté Travel offers those who want financial freedom the ability to travel the world while running their own business.