FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines CEO Robert Isom and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy opened the 11th annual Safety Management System (SMS) Industry Forum with a fireside chat focused on the state of aviation safety in 2026. The conversation marked the first time a cabinet secretary has addressed the SMS Industry Forum, and it set the tone for the multiday event that brings together safety leaders from across the transportation sector.
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Both Isom and Duffy highlighted that aviation safety remains strong and is a top priority across the transportation system, highlighting that continuous improvement is driven by strong collaboration between government, regulators and aviation companies.
Duffy outlined the Department of Transportation's focus on modernizing the nation's air traffic control system, noting ongoing efforts to retain and recruit qualified air traffic controllers, and that a $12.5 billion federal investment is already underway to upgrade infrastructure.
"We're going to make this the best, but the safest system in the world," Duffy said. "I've got a team that rallies around that. It's true, if you don't have safety, you don't have the business. It's about being smart in how we think about the risk and the upgrades, all with the safety of the American people in the back of our minds."
Both leaders acknowledged the fast pace of innovation in the transportation and aviation space. While embracing new technology is essential, Duffy reaffirmed that innovation can never come at the expense of safety.
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American Airlines Group Inc. published this content on April 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 29, 2026 at 22:03 UTC.
American Airlines Group Inc. is a holding company. Its primary business activity is the operation of a major network air carrier, providing scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo through its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. and partner gateways, including in London, Doha, Madrid, Seattle/Tacoma, Sydney and Tokyo, among others. Together with its regional airline subsidiaries and third-party regional carriers operating as American Eagle. Its cargo division provides a wide range of freight and mail services, with facilities and interline connections available across the globe. It operates approximately 977 mainline aircraft supported by its regional airline subsidiaries and third-party regional carriers, which together operate an additional 585 regional aircraft. Its subsidiaries include American Airlines, Inc., Envoy Aviation Group Inc., PSA Airlines, Inc. and Piedmont Airlines, Inc.
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