Founded in 1930, American Airlines was formed via the union of multiple small regional airlines and was the first airline to turn a profit based only on commercial passenger service. Like its early beginning, mergers and acquisitions have played a key role in American Airlines’s history and growth as an airline. In 2001, facing financial troubles, TWA (Trans World Airlines) was acquired by the American Airlines Group in a move to help grow American’s international route map and service. More recently, in 2011, American Airlines found itself as the airline facing financial troubles after its parent company filed for bankruptcy protection. This situation led to the 2013 proposal for a merger with US Airways. After some debate, the American Airlines name was chosen to live on because of its brand carrying stronger clout internationally. The merger between these two US-based airlines completed in 2015 created not only the largest airline in the United States but also the world. Read More