American Airlines is one of the largest carriers in the world. To ensure operations go without an issue, thousands of dedicated employees work behind the scenes in various roles such as reservations, flight operations, crew, pilot training and much more. Beginning in 2019 American Airlines began a top to bottom renovation of their headquarters constructing 9 massive buildings sprawled out across 100 acres. New buildings constructed include an on site hotel for crew and trainees along with buildings to support operations such as IT, reservations, Training and more. Through an organized meetup hosted by the podcast Non-Rev Lounge, a podcast hosted by American Employees sharing their experiences as a “Non-Rev” travel the network, a special behind the scenes tour of the new American Airlines headquarters was organized.
Forward Thinking Design
Thought the buildings it is apparent how much thought has been put into the overall design. In the main entrance, visitors are greeted to a ceiling resembling an aircraft engine. Each floorplan has wide open spaces with areas where coworkers can collaborate, likewise there are areas with single seating to get work done. Throughout the common spaces and stairways are sculptures and furnishings only an avgeek can dream up. Hard to miss is a massive replica of an aircraft seatbelt and sculptures of safety cards from every aircraft type!
Continuing the theme of open spaces, each floor has a different layout with a specific airport destination name and color theme. Every floor has plenty of windows letting an abundance of natural light in. Some spaces serve as an area to just kick back and relax or to play some competitive games like shuffleboard. At the elevators are special LED boards recognizing American Airlines employees who have been with the airline for 10 years up to 50 years. Should an employee have an IT issue there is a dedicated space in the lobby where IT technicians can diagnose a work laptop or computer issue on site replicating that of an apple store.
Getting Around Campus
Getting around such a large campus can be accomplished in a few ways. Electric shuttles are available to select buildings. Each building is connected through pathways that cut through the campus. American Airlines colored bicycles are available on a first come first serve basis, making shortening time between buildings while enhancing the airlines goals for sustainability. On the topic of sustainability, all of the buildings at American Airlines Headquarters are LEED Gold Certified. “To reach this certification the developers adhere to prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality. Projects go through a verification and review process by GBCI and are awarded points that correspond to a level of LEED certification,” according to the US Green Building Council.
Training Center
The American Airlines Training center is located on the far side of the campus. In addition to flight attendant and pilot training, ticket and gate agents have a dedicated space to gain hands on experience outside of a traditional classroom environment. A full-sized replica of the check in desks including the different types of computer monitors is replicated along with baggage belts and realistic signage. Across from the mock ticketing desks are full sized cabin mockups for various aircraft in the fleet where inflight crewmembers complete practical training.
On Site Hotel
Sky View 6 is home to an onsite hotel and a swanky tavern. Greeting guests by the entrance is the globe of firsts, a piece of art dedicating the many firsts throughout American Airlines history. The onsite tavern has a mix of indoor and outdoor seating. Nearby are fire pits where classmates and colleagues can kick back and relax after a long day. The 600 room onsite hotel has all the amenities that one would expect at a full service property. There is an onsite ballroom, fitness center and pool.
In all, the new American Airlines headquarters resembles more a tech company headquarters than an airline headquarters, especially with the futuristic floor layouts. Every aspect of the new HQ has been thought out with the employee being at the forefront. A huge thank you to the Non-Rev Podcast members for organizing the tour. A behind the scenes ramp tour took place afterwards and can be found on our YouTube channel.