Empowering Women in the Skies
American Airlines Flight Operated by an All-Black Female Crew in Honor of Bessie Coleman
Northampton, MA --News Direct-- American Airlines
American Airlines hosted the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars tour to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license in 1921. She bravely broke down barriers within the world of aviation and paved the path for many to follow.
To honor her legacy, American hosted Gigi Coleman, Bessie’s great niece, on a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Phoenix. The flight was operated by an all-Black Female crew — from the pilots and Flight Attendants to the Cargo team members and the aviation maintenance technician.
American is being intentional in its efforts to diversify the flight deck. Black women have been notably underrepresented in the aviation industry, especially as pilots, representing less than 1% in the commercial airline industry. Through the American Airlines Cadet Academy, the airline is committed to expanding awareness of and increasing accessibility to the pilot career within diverse communities.
The historic flight crew:
Beth PowellPilot, Boeing 737 Captain
Charlene ShorttePilot, Boeing 737 First Officer
Cheryl GaymonFlight Attendant
Mary RobersonFlight Attendant
Vanessa BennettFlight Attendant
Breana JamesFlight Attendant
Sharron BrooksRamp Crew Chief
Nicole White Ramp Crew Chief
Melissa Simpson Ramp Crew Chief
Maya MatthewsFleet Service Agent
Natasha WilliamsFleet Service Agent
Alisha BatesFleet Service Agent
Christina ThorntonFleet Service Agent
Deanna PriceFleet Service Agent
Samara BrownFleet Service Agent
Davena HeardFleet Service Agent
Candis BriggsFleet Service Agent
Latoya CooperFleet Service Agent
Patricia MilfortManager on Duty, Customer Operations
Tiki WalkerCustomer Service Manager
Tracy BrownCustomer Service Agent
Valerie MajorCustomer Service Agent
Denise AshfordCustomer Service Agent
Wendy JohnsonCustomer Service Agent
Arlene LawCustomer Service Coordinator
Lynette Daniels MoodyCustomer Service Coordinator
Lillie HayesCustomer Service Coordinator
Kacy StevensonCustomer Service Coordinator
Muje Abdul-QadirControl Center Coordinator
Pamela CaltonAviation Maintenance Technician
Crystal Tochi McDanielDuty Manager, Cargo Services
Audrey Van HookCargo Crew Chief
Sandra ButlerCargo Crew Chief
Jessika MejiaPremium Guest Services Representative
Veronda ButlerSenior Manager, Premium Guest Services
Tracie HunterTraining and Development Instructional Designer
About American Airlines Group
To Care for People on Life’s Journey®. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL and the company’s stock is included in the S&P 500. Learn more about what’s happening at American by visiting news.aa.com and connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.
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