Female Firsts
1973 - American Airlines is the first major airline to hire a female pilot
– Bonnie Tiburzi.
1986 - American Airlines Pilot Beverley Bass becomes the first female
captain for a major airline.
1987 - The first ever all female flight crew staffed American Airlines
Flight 417.
1999 - The first female pilot hired becomes the first female pilot to retire
from a major airline. Capt. Bonnie Tiburzi retires after 26 years of
service.
2002 - Capt. Esther Horn becomes the first female pilot ever to retire from
American Airlines at age 60.
Total Female Pilots at American Airlines
(As of August 2008)
Total number of pilots – Approximately 10,921
Total female pilots – 478
Total number of captains – 3,843
Total female captains – 56
Female Pilots in the Airline Industry
(U.S. commercial airline pilots only as of December 2007)
Total number of U.S. commercial pilots – More than 115,000
Total number of female U.S. commercial pilots – Approximately 7,100
Total number of female U.S. commercial captains – Approximately 800
Revised September 2008 
Reservations
