Invest: Miami speaks with Marilyn Devoe, Vice President
Two years ago, American Airlines merged with US Airways, becoming the largest airline in the world. Since then, our efforts have been centered on becoming the greatest airline in the world for our customers, employees, stakeholders and partners.
Miami International Airport (MIA) is our third-busiest hub, following Dallas/Fort Worth and Charlotte, and our largest hub for international flights. We continued to pursue growth in this vibrant city. Just last year, we added six new destinations from MIA: San Antonio, Austin, Kansas City, Salt Lake City, Barranquilla, Colombia and Monterrey, Mexico. But our growth is not just measured by the number of flights and destinations we serve; it is also seen in the number of widebody aircraft—that is, double-aisled planes—we operate at MIA. Each widebody added to our hub has a significant economic impact, contributing, on average, 16 new pilots and 45 flight attendants.
As the largest airline operating at MIA, accounting for roughly 70 percent of tra c and servicing a high volume of international passengers, it is more important than ever to ensure our processes are streamlined. Technology is playing a key role, from online check-in, to the free mobile passport app that allows U.S. and Canadian citizens to be granted clearance within four seconds of arriving at U.S. Customs. American’s crewmembers are provided with Global Entry, which further eases the e ect of our people on the Customs and Border Protection system. We are also working to create more exit lanes and recently began connecting international baggage, thus easing the ow for international customers arriving to or transiting through MIA.
MIA remains important to American’s present and is key to our future success. Apart from its strategic location, what makes Miami unique is the supportive, collaborative spirit of the government and the business community. In the past couple of decades, American Airlines and the Greater Miami area have both experienced incredible growth. And, looking ahead, we see a promising future for both.
