American Airlines Honors JFK Team Member Al Blackman for 75 Years of Service With Dedication of Boeing 777-200
July 18 2017 - 2:06PM
American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) team member Azreil “Al”
Blackman, an Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Crew Chief based
at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK),
celebrated 75 years of service with the airline today. At a
ceremony at JFK today, the airline surprised him by dedicating a
Boeing 777 in his honor.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6f94d129-92fe-49ca-b49c-9cd7bd1a1171
“I’m just honored to be here, I’m proud to be a mechanic. I’m
proud to be part of the American Airlines team,” commented Blackman
to a standing ovation.
“On behalf of Al’s more than 100,000 team members, we are
honored to celebrate him and his milestone 75 years of service
today,” said American’s Chairman and CEO, Doug Parker. “Al
has worked on nearly every aircraft American has flown since the
flying boats of the 1940s to the Boeing 777s of today. His hard
work and dedication to train and mentor others and safely maintain
our aircraft has made us a better airline.”
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS was also on hand to
recognize Blackman with the Longest career as an airline mechanic
title.
“I’m honored to present Al Blackman with the GUINNESS WORLD
RECORDS title of Longest career as an airline mechanic. This
achievement, which speaks to his vast knowledge in the subject and
his dedication to the aviation industry, has helped him to become
OFFICIALLY AMAZING™,” said Andrew Glass, official adjudicator for
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS.
When Blackman was just 16 years old he graduated from Aviation
High School in Manhattan and took a job with American Airlines
(American Export Airlines at the time) as an apprentice in the
Sheet Metal Shop for $.50 an hour. During his 75 years with
American Blackman has worked on some of aviation’s most fascinating
aircraft. Although his shift technically starts at 5 a.m. Blackman
arrives at the hangar just before 3 a.m. most days.
“When I first started as a junior mechanic Al was my crew chief
and he was celebrating his 45th anniversary. I thought to myself,
‘45 years with one company. That's amazing,’" commented Robert
Needham, senior manager Aircraft Line Maintenance, JFK. “Here we
are celebrating his 75th, 30 years later, and it's just
mind-blowing.”
“The interesting thing about Blackie and myself, is everybody
has a crew chief. We all had that first crew chief. It just so
happens, Al's first crew chief was my father, Charlie Hanna, when
he started over at LaGuardia working on flying boats,” said Wayne
Hanna, JFK-based AMT. “When I first started here, Blackie told me
he tries to be like my dad every day, which was a great compliment
to me.”
Twenty-five years ago Blackman was honored with the FAA’s
Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic Award, a feat only awarded to
individuals with 50 years of experience in aviation maintenance as
an accredited mechanic or repairman certified by the FAA for at
least 30 years.
“When you like what you do, it’s not work,” commented
Blackman.
About American Airlines Group American Airlines
and American Eagle offer an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day
to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American has
hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. American is a
founding member of the oneworld® alliance, whose
members serve more than 1,000 destinations with about 14,250 daily
flights to over 150 countries. Shares of American Airlines Group
Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. In 2015, its
stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on
Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.
Corporate Communications
817-967-1577
mediarelations@aa.com
American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024