American Airlines hired the first female graduates from the American Airlines Cadet Academy to join the mainline flight deck as first officers at the 2023 Women in Aviation International Conference. In addition to this milestone, American extended 52 pilot job offers at the conference — the only mainline airline carrier to do so, according to American.

The American Airlines Cadet Academy, which celebrates its five-year anniversary in July, provides a structured platform to eliminate the financial barriers that prospective pilots face. The Cadet Academy supports the growth of American’s pilot population while creating greater diversity amongst the future and current pilot ranks — with more than 30% of enrolled cadets being female. The Cadet Academy helps close the gap between dreams and an attainable future in aviation for those who didn’t know it was possible.