United for Wildlife was founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2014 to protect endangered species from illegal trade.
As a member of the Transport Taskforce and the North America Chapter, AA Cargo is stopping the illegal trafficking of wildlife by preventing the products from being transported across borders.
With other parties across the supply chain and regional partners, the airline is part of a network trained to recognise patterns of illegal wildlife trade where it is most prevalent.
Greg Schwendinger, President of American Airlines Cargo, says, “We are proud to be the first US cargo carrier to join United for Wildlife. We take our membership in the Transport Taskforce very seriously and are committed to doing our part to put an end to wildlife smuggling within the supply chain. It’s a privilege to link up with other industries and logistics players to fight for this mission together.”
Ian Cruickshank, United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce Manager, says, “Airlines can play a vital role in disrupting the supply chains of international criminal syndicates trafficking in vulnerable and endangered species. No country is immune from these crimes - between 2009 and 2021, there were an average of 7 wildlife seizures a day at US airports. We’re thrilled to welcome American Airlines on board as our first US airline partner and look forward to working together into the future to drive down this exploitation.”