American Airlines yesterday passed its latest hurdle to becoming the world’s largest carrier, and the end of the US Airways brand.
The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded a single operating certificate allowing American Airlines and US Airways to legally operate as a single integrated carrier.
It is a major milestone in the merger process but flyers won’t see any immediate changes, says Ed Bular, a senior vice president in charge of the integration.
"Think of it as the ultimate enabler for integration. The rest of the airline really cannot integrate until the airline officially becomes one," he said.
"It is the world’s largest airline and the operation is very large and complex," said Bular, a veteran of four airline mergers.
Operationally, both airlines will use the ‘American’ call sign in communication with air traffic control and recently US Airways’ frequent flyer members were absorbed into American’s AAdvantage program.
Other steps planned for full and final integration include moving to a single reservations system and website by the year-end, and the repainting of US Airways’ planes into American colors, which will take a year to complete.
