All-Black, female crew operates American Airlines flight out of DFW

DALLAS - A crew made up of entirely Black women operated a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to honor an aviation pioneer.

The American Airlines flight was meant to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Black woman to earn a pilot's license, Bessie Coleman.

Coleman, who grew up in Waxahachie, was the first Black woman to make a public flight in the United States.

Coleman's great niece was on board the flight from DFW to Phoenix, which was fully-staffed with Black woman, including the pilots, flight attendants, cargo team, and maintenance technicians.

In a news release, American Airlines says Black women have been "underrepresented in the aviation industry."

The airline says than fewer than 1% of pilots in the commercial airline industry are Black women.

The Fort Worth-based airline says it is committed to making the field more diverse.