Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991. Founded in 1927 as a scheduled air mail and passenger service operating between Key West, Florida and Havana, Cuba, the airline became a major company credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry, including the widespread use of jet aircraft, jumbo jets, and computerized reservation systems. It was also a founding member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global airline industry association. Identified by its blue globe logo, the use of the word "Clipper" in aircraft names and call signs, and the white pilot uniform caps, the airline was a cultural icon of the 20th century. In an era dominated by flag carriers that were wholly or majority government-owned, it was also the unofficial flag carrier of the United States. During most of the jet era, Pan Am's flagship terminal was the Worldport located at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.

American Airlines, Inc., operating as American Airlines (AA), is a U.S. airline and a subsidiary of AMR Corporation. It is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. American Airlines operates an extensive international and domestic network, with scheduled flights throughout North America, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, and Asia/Pacific. On November 29, 2011, AMR Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey stepped down and was replaced by company president Thomas W. Horton.

Dallas/Fort Worth is the airline's largest hub, with AA and American Eagle, AMR's regional carrier, accounting for about 85 percent of the traffic and 83 percent of the landing fees at the airport and traveling to more destinations than from its other hubs. American currently operates maintenance bases at Tulsa (TUL) and Fort Worth Alliance (AFW).

American Airlines has two affiliates: American Eagle, which is 100% regional subsidiary, and AmericanConnection, which is the code-share regional brand.

The Pan-American or Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics. The competition is held between athletes from nations of the Americas, held every four years in the year before the Summer Olympic Games. There also has been one edition of the Winter Pan American Games in 1990. The Pan American Games were last held in Guadalajara in 2011. The next edition of the Games will be held in Toronto in 2015. Since 2007, host cities are contracted to manage both the Pan American and the Parapan American Games, in which athletes with physical disabilities compete against one another. The Parapan American Games are held immediately following their respective Pan American Games. PASO is the governing body of the Pan American Games movement, whose structure and actions are defined by the Olympic Charter.