Making a Difference

At this time of year, many people make an effort to show family and friends how much they care by giving them cards and gifts or taking them out for a special meal or night on the town.

At US Airways, we believe it’s important to show our appreciation for the communities we serve — and where our employees live and work — by contributing to the economic and social well-being of these areas through year-round philanthropic activities. Last year, more than 365 nonprofit organizations across the nation benefited from US Airways through volunteerism and charitable contributions.

Our caring employees give back to their communities by volunteering their time for worthwhile causes. More than 4,000 of US Airways’ 32,000 employees are members of our employee volunteer corps, the Do Crew. In 2009, Do Crew members volunteered more than 18,000 hours on behalf of the airline at nonprofit organizations in Boston, Charlotte, Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and Winston-Salem.

Inspired by the kindness of their fellow employees, members of US Airways’ leadership team came together to pitch in for the greater good of their communities with a day of service last December. More than 100 top managers in Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh spent a day working together at food banks and distributing toys to disadvantaged children.

In addition to volunteering their time, US Airways employees have made generous financial contributions to communities across the country through our “Hope Takes Flight” employee donation campaign that benefits the United Way. Last fall, US Airways employees raised more than $1.1 million that will go toward fulfilling vital health and human services needs in more than 150 communities across the nation. In the past decade, US Airways employees have contributed more than $8.5 million to the United Way.

Each year, US Airways employees come up with creative ways to support the United Way. Last year’s fundraising events included a board game–themed miniature-golf tournament in Phoenix, a silent auction in Pittsburgh, and Jet Pulls in Charlotte, Phoenix, and Philadelphia, in which teams of 20 competed to see who could pull a 50-ton Airbus A319 jetliner 15 feet the fastest. The Jet Pulls were hands-down US Airways’ most popular United Way fundraising event. This year’s winning team from Philadelphia — the Domestic Speed Boys, pictured at left — lived up to their name and set a new company record by pulling our Philadelphia Eagles–themed aircraft 15 feet in just 4.55 seconds!

These are challenging times, and I’m thankful that US Airways employees are helping those who need it most by making the communities we serve better places to live and work.

On behalf of all of us at US Airways, thank you for flying with US today. We hope to see you again soon.