American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by scheduled passengers carried and revenue passenger mile.

In 2026, American Airlines remains the largest airline in Texas by several metrics, including fleet size, total destinations, and revenue. Headquartered in Fort Worth, American operates its primary global hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), which is one of the busiest airports in the world. DFW serves as the centerpiece of American's network, with the airline controlling over 80% of the gate space and operating nearly 900 daily flights from that single location. However, Southwest Airlines is a very close second and is arguably the "spirit" of Texas aviation. Headquartered at Dallas Love Field, Southwest carries a massive volume of domestic passengers within the state and serves as the dominant carrier at Houston's William P. Hobby Airport. While American wins on international reach and total corporate scale, Southwest often leads in "passengers boarded" for purely domestic Texas routes. Together, these two giants make Texas the most influential state in the U.S. aviation industry, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and ensuring that Dallas and Houston remain top-tier global logistics hubs.