Nick Andersen
American Airlines has named VP of commercial planning and performance Nick Andersen as SVP of network planning, effective Nov. 1, according to an internal memo from chief commercial officer Nat Pieper, to whom Andersen will report.
Andersen will succeed Brian Znotins, who has decided to retire at the end of the year after nearly seven years with the carrier, according to the memo. The commercial planning and performance teams will report to VP of revenue management Scott Chandler while American "assess[es] the best future structure."
The carrier also announced that Margaret Mueller will join American as VP and managing partner of the Chicago market, overseeing sales and local business activities in Chicagoland. She begins her new role Nov. 30 and will report to SVP of sales Lucas Martin.
American recently has been in fierce competition with United Airlines for additional gates at O'Hare International Airport, with United CEO Scott Kirby on a January 2026 earnings call saying the airline was "drawing a line in the sand" and would "not allow [American] to win a single gate at our expense in 2026."
Each carrier has announced plans for expanded Chicago networks, so much so that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration introduced a flight cap at O'Hare, which in July was extended through the summer 2027 season.
In addition, American has named Chris Kelly Singley as VP of commercial communications, advertising and sponsorships, effective Oct. 19. She most recently had been Oneworld VP of communications, marketing and sustainability. She previously was at American from 2013 to 2020, and also held positions at Delta Air Lines, Boeing and JetZero during her career.
These latest moves come about two months after American made several changes to its management team, which included the departure of three executives and expanded the remit of others.
RELATED: Three Execs to Depart American in Management Shuffle