Lewis University Welcomes American Airlines MD-80 to its Fleet

Lewis University officially welcomed a retired American Airlines MD-80 to its fleet on January 23. A brief celebration was held with American Airlines representatives and community members at Lewis University, a leader in aviation education since 1932.

The MD-80 donation helps Lewis University Aviation and Transportation develop a new generation of training as it provides an updated avionics package and broadens opportunities for students to earn more Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificates. All 700 current Aviation and Transportation students will use the MD-80 at some point in their studies, however, it will primarily be used by nearly 200 students in the Aviation Maintenance Management program.

“This generous donation from American Airlines will ensure that future Lewis University graduates will enter the aviation industry with the best possible training and experience,” Dr. David J. Livingston, President of Lewis University, said.

The December 20, 2019 delivery of the aircraft was the last flight of an American Airlines MD-80 in the United States. American donated the last MD-80 aircraft after retiring the last of its McDonnell Douglas MD-80 fleet to Roswell, New Mexico, in early September 2019.

“As part of American’s commitment to developing the next generation of aviation professionals, this donation will create a pipeline for skilled technicians right here in our backyard,” said Franco Tedeschi, American Airlines Vice President – Chicago. “We are proud to partner with Lewis University and look forward to taking part in the many ways aircraft N501AA will inspire career development in local students, much like the MD-80 fleet impacted our team members for more than 35 years.”

About American Airlines Group
American Airlines offers customers 6,800 daily flights to more than 365 destinations in 61 countries from its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. With a shared purpose of caring for people on life's journey, American's 130,000 global team members serve more than 200 million customers annually. Since 2013, American has invested more than $28 billion in its product and people and now flies the youngest fleet among U.S. network carriers, equipped with industry-leading high-speed Wi-Fi, lie-flat seats, and more inflight entertainment and access to power. American also has enhanced food and beverage options in the air and on the ground in its world-class Admirals Club and Flagship lounges. American was recently named a Five Star Global Airline by the Airline Passenger Experience Association and Airline of the Year by Air Transport World. American is a founding member of oneworld®, whose members serve 1,100 destinations in 180 countries and territories. 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.