American Airlines sustainability score: 22/100
American Airlines is a major US carrier based in Fort Worth, founded in 1976. With 132,100 employees and $52.8B in FY2023 revenue, it operates one of the world's largest airline networks, carrying 248.7 million passengers annually.
More about American Airlines
The company is a leading aviation player facing systemic decarbonization challenges.
Founded 2013Head office Fort Worth, United StatesStaff ~140,000Revenue $52.8B (FY2023)Website ↗
American Airlines reports comprehensive emissions data and holds SBTi validation, but absolute emissions rose 6% in 2023 while the CEO acknowledged climate targets are in jeopardy. The airline relies on intensity-based targets that mask rising total impact, SAF adoption below 1%, and faces greenwashing warnings from ClientEarth and C-rated lobbying influence from InfluenceMap.
American Airlines scores 22/100 (Significant gaps) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Companies can never pay for anything about their own score. Last verified May 2026.
That places American Airlines joint 870th of 934 companies scored, and 17th of 23 in Airlines / Aviation.
What is American Airlines doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Water Impact (2/10, 2/10).
Where American Airlines lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
- Emissions from its own operations7/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain6/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling2/10No evidence its emissions are falling, not even from energy bills or mileage.
- How clean its energy is3/10No renewable energy tariff or major efficiency investment shown.
- Its effect on nature3/10No assessment of its effect on nature, and no basic environmental policy.
- How it uses materials and handles waste4/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water2/10No monitoring of water use, or no measures to reduce it.
- Its climate targets4/10Its targets aren't science-based or committed to the Science Based Targets initiative.
- How openly it reports6/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies3/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is American Airlines's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas American Airlines's score changed?
American Airlines's score has moved from 24 to 22 across 2 recorded reviews, down 2 points.
- 24 → 22-218 August 2026
Re-classified Aerospace[38] -> Airlines / Aviation[28]; score 24->22
- Scored 244 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is American Airlines's score based on?
17 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
47% of them were published by American Airlines itself; the rest come from independent sources.
9 of 17 sources are independent of the company.
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
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How does American Airlines compare with other airlines / aviation companies?
Where American Airlines sits among airlines / aviation peers.
Among the 23 major airlines / aviation brands we've scored, American Airlines sits 17th of 23.
Who scores higher in Airlines / Aviation?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above American Airlines.
Ryanair's 20.1 Mt CO₂e footprint rose 7.8% year-on-year, driven by capacity growth to 300 million passengers by 2034.
See the breakdown →IAG's emissions are rising in absolute terms while it claims progress via intensity metrics.
See the breakdown →Cathay Pacific discloses emissions data and publishes annual sustainability reports, but absolute emissions are rising sharply as the airline expands.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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