Amercian Airlines analysis: is the largest airline a good choice after the pandemic?

After lowcost Southwest Airlines and giant Delta Airlines comes American Airlines, which boasts the largest market share. What's more, it is at a significant discount to its competitors. What is the reason for this?

Amercian Airlines $AAL is one of the largest airlines in the world. AAL made a loss in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19, but has otherwise posted long-term profits. Before the crisis, revenue, operating results and free cash from operations were growing. Revenue growth was around 5% per year. Operating margins were close to 10% in recent years. It is a stable giant, but growth prospects have been limited by competition and the obvious impact of the pandemic.

It is one of the so-called Big Three, along with Delta Air Line $DAL and United Airlines. They operate under the main American Airlines brand and other subsidiaries such as American Eagle and Envoy Air. They operate a long-haul network between the US and Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America.

They operate to…