In a similar move, rival Southwest Airlines recently revealed plans to grow its global capability center (GCC) in Hyderabad to around 1,000 employees over the next few years.
Major global companies like JPMorgan Chase, Walmart, McDonald’s, Nvidia, and Eli Lilly have also been expanding their technology operations in India, attracted by the country’s talent pool as costs rise in other regions and macroeconomic uncertainties persist.
Originally focused on back-office functions, these hubs are now involved in critical areas such as engineering, R&D, finance, and operations.
American Airlines established its Hyderabad hub in 2024 and currently employs roughly 400 staff members who specialize in software engineering, AI, and cybersecurity, according to the sources.
The airline indicated that it plans to keep hiring but did not provide specific figures regarding the workforce, mentioning only that the hub has “several hundred” employees and is part of its global technology network alongside teams in the US.
“Teams located in Fort Worth, Phoenix, and Hyderabad collaborate closely with the business to digitize processes, implement new tools that enhance market speed and business outcomes, and create a more resilient airline along with an improved experience for both team members and customers,” the company stated to Reuters.
Since 2021, the airline has consistently increased its investment in IT and the number of technology staff based in the US, it added.
India has become the largest GCC hub in the world, boasting over 2,100 centers that employ approximately 2.36 million individuals and generate nearly $100 billion in revenue, according to a 2026 report by Nasscom-Zinnov.
