For the second quarter financial results, American Airlines reported its record quarterly revenue, driven by strong demand for the airline’s services and product and solid commercial execution.
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Fuel expense increased by over $2.2 billion, or 83% year over year. American was able to offset nearly 50% of this fuel headwind in the second quarter through higher fares. Fuel prices have remained volatile in recent weeks. Based on the forward fuel curve as of July 21, American expects third-quarter fuel expense to be up $1.7 billion year over year.
Revenue
American continues to see momentum in its premium revenue performance, supported by strength in both corporate and premium leisure demand. The airline is adding premium seats with deliveries of new Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR aircraft and retrofits of its 777-300ER, 777-200ER, A319 and A320 aircraft. This summer, American will offer more premium seats than any other airline.
The company’s second-quarter results were driven by strong revenue performance across all entities and cabins:
– Premium continued to outperform with passenger unit revenue up 13.4%, while Main Cabin also performed well with passenger unit revenue up 8.8% compared to the second quarter of 2025.
– Domestic demand rebounded nicely year over year with passenger unit revenue growth of 10.6%.
– International demand was strong across all entities, with passenger unit revenue for the Atlantic entity up 8.9%, the Pacific entity up 15.1% and the Latin America entity up 6.6% compared to the second quarter of 2025.
– Demand for business travel also remained strong in the second quarter, with managed corporate revenue increasing 26% year over year.
Passenger experience
American continues to invest in the customer experience, resulting in a 5-point year-over-year improvement in its Net Promoter Score (NPS) in the second quarter. For on-time flights, American saw its NPS increase for the 15th time in the past 17 months. In May, the company announced plans to install Starlink high-speed Wi‑Fi on its fleet beginning in 2027, further advancing onboard connectivity and the overall customer experience.
The company continues to expand and enhance its Admirals Club and premium lounge network to deliver a more premium experience across the customer journey, including new and upgraded amenities in key locations such as New York (JFK) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), in addition to previously announced plans for Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT), and Miami (MIA).
Global network
In the second quarter, the company launched new nonstop routes to Europe, including service to Budapest, Hungary, and Prague from Philadelphia (PHL) and to Athens, Greece, from DFW, further strengthening its position in the premium trans-Atlantic market. American was also the first U.S. carrier to return to Venezuela, with service from MIA to Caracas, reinforcing its leading position in Latin America.
Across its domestic network, the airline continues to enhance connectivity and efficiency through investments in its hubs. These initiatives include the successful rebanking of DFW, which improved customer connectivity and operational performance at its largest hub. This effort reduced system misconnections in the quarter by nearly 25% year over year, improving customer satisfaction scores. This initiative also supported better financial performance at DFW, where unit revenue increased 4 points above the system average in the second quarter. The company also continues to bolster its key hubs at Chicago (ORD), MIA, PHL and Phoenix (PHX).
The company’s capacity grew 5.4% year over year in the second quarter, and the operation remained resilient throughout the quarter, with on-time arrival performance improving 2.8 points year over year.