Former FedEx Chief Financial Officer John Dietrich has been elected to the board of directors at American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL), the company said Wednesday.
Dietrich has 35 years of leadership experience in the logistics and air cargo industries. Dietrich served for nearly three years as FedEx’s (NYSE: FDX) chief financial officer, resigning on June 1 following the spin off of less-than-truckload unit FedEx Freight into an independent, public company.
Prior to that, Dietrich served as CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, a publicly traded all-cargo carrier and freighter leasing company for more than three years. He helped steer the company’s sale to a consortium of private investors in 2023. In total, Dietrich spent 24 years at Atlas Air in a variety of leadership roles. He was appointed president of Atlas in 2019 and previously served as chief operating officer, with responsibility for all aspects of the company’s global operations. Earlier in his career, Dietrich served as general counsel for Atlas and spent more than a decade at United Airlines, the majority of the time as an attorney.
He joined FedEx as it embarked on a massive transformation program that involved taking out more than $4 billion in structural costs over two years, combining the FedEx Express and FedEx Ground networks and, eventually, the divestiture of FedEx Freight.
“His extensive experience — coupled with his reputation and success in managing complex, capital-intensive operations as well as his insights into financial discipline, risk management and governance — will significantly enhance the board’s capabilities as we prioritize long-term performance and shareholder value,” American Airlines Chairman Greg Smith said in an announcement.
Dietrich could also be a valuable asset for American Airlines’ cargo operation. American had cargo revenue of $839 million in 2025, up 4.3% from the prior year. American typically trails United Airlines and Delta Air Lines in cargo revenue.
Dietrich currently serves as chairman of the National Defense Transportation Association and on the boards of AAR Corp. and First Horizon Corp.
He is also a former member and chairman of the National Air Carrier Association and a former member of the International Air Transport Association board of governors.
Dietrich will serve on American Airlines’ audit and finance committees. American Airlines is scheduled to publish second quarter earnings results on July 23.
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Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.
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