American Airlines Cargo joins United for Wildlife group to battle illegal wildlife trafficking

American Airlines Cargo has become the first US carrier to join the United for Wildlife group that aims to end the illegal trafficking of wildlife.

The carrier is a member of the group’s Transport Taskforce and the North American Chapter where it will help stop the illegal trafficking of wildlife and associated products.

Stakeholders are trained to recognize patterns of illegal wildlife trade where it is most prevalent.

American Airlines Cargo president Greg Schwendinger said: “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.

Ian Cruickshank, United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce manager, added: “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 seven wildlife seizures a day at US airports. We’re thrilled to welcome American Airlines on board as our first U.S. airline partner and look forward to working together into the future to drive down this exploitation.”

The criminal wildlife trafficking trade is estimated to be worth up to $20bn annually as poachers and traffickers illegally trade wildlife and wildlife products, such as monkeys, rhino horn, ivory, pangolin scales or tiger parts, among many others.