FORT WORTH, Texas, Nov. 09, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) has been honored once again by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) with the highest possible rating in the prestigious 2018 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). American was the only airline to achieve a perfect score when the CEI launched in 2002, and continues to be one of only a handful of corporations to do so every year since.

The CEI is a nationally recognized benchmark that evaluates America’s top workplaces and their inclusion of LGBTQ employees and their allies. Companies like American that earn the top CEI score of 100 percent also are named the “Best Places to Work” in the U.S.

“For more than two decades, American has been a pioneer in establishing fair-minded policies and practices for our LGBTQ team members and customers,” said Patrick O’Keeffe, senior vice president – People and a co-executive sponsor of the airline’s Pride Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG). “Fostering an inclusive work environment that embraces the diversity of our team members and the customers we serve is one of the keys to American’s success, and we are honored to receive this continued recognition from the HRC.”

American has a long history of commitment to the LGBTQ community in the course of doing business. In the last year, American has provided significant support to several LGBTQ organizations including: Astraea Lesbian Foundation in Dallas/Fort Worth; Los Angeles LGBT Center; Ali Forney Center in New York City; Center on Halsted in Chicago; and GLBT Community Center of Central Florida.

For decades, American’s Pride EBRG, which was the airline’s first EBRG, has championed LGBTQ travelers as well as diversity, equality and respect throughout the travel industry. American is a proud member and supporter of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, PFLAG and Lambda Legal.

The Human Rights Campaign is dedicated to promoting and ensuring public understanding of LGBTQ issues through innovative education and communication strategies. A complete list of CEI rankings is available at hrc.org.

For more information on American’s commitment to diversity and the LGBTQ community, visit aa.com/diversity.

About American Airlines Group
American Airlines and American Eagle offer an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American has hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. American is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, whose members serve more than 1,000 destinations with about 14,250 daily flights to over 150 countries. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. In 2015, its stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.

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