American Airlines Parts Ways With Network Planning Chief Amid Premium Push

American Airlines has parted ways with Brian Znotins, its Senior Vice President of Network Planning, according to reports published on 14 October 2026. The departure is the latest sign of internal reshaping at the carrier as it attempts to reverse a prolonged commercial decline.

Who Is Brian Znotins?

According to One Mile at a Time, Znotins joined American in early 2020 as VP of Network and Schedule Planning. He initially reported to Vasu Raja, who served as American's SVP of Network Strategy before becoming Chief Commercial Officer and was eventually dismissed from that role.

Before joining American, Znotins held positions at WestJet, United, Continental and Canadian Airlines, giving him a lengthy background across North American carriers.

How the News Broke

The departure was first reported by aviation insider account JonNYC on social media, who stated it had been "confirmed by 3 folks." One Mile at a Time subsequently reported the news, noting that Simple Flying also covered the story amid American's ongoing premium push.

Who Will Replace Him?

One Mile at a Time reports that Znotins is set to be replaced by Nick Andersen, currently American's VP of Commercial Planning and Performance. Andersen has been with American, and US Airways before it, since 2007, meaning he has spent nearly two decades working across network planning and pricing functions at the combined carrier.

The Strategy That Defined His Tenure

Znotins, alongside the now-departed Raja, was a principal architect of American's heavy focus on domestic flying. One Mile at a Time describes this as a strategy of "basically avoiding long haul flying as much as possible," a direction that has drawn sustained criticism as rival carriers expanded internationally.

United's network planning chief Patrick Quayle, for example, was previously a Managing Director of International Planning at American until early 2017. One Mile at a Time notes that the trajectories of the two airlines have diverged sharply since his departure to United.

What It Could Mean for American Airlines's Network

One Mile at a Time suggests that Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper may be driving the change, with the view that a meaningful strategic shift requires new leadership in network planning. The same report notes that any move towards expanded long-haul flying will take time, partly because American does not currently have enough long-haul aircraft, and a new order, while reportedly imminent, would take years to deliver.

The competitive picture is sharpening rapidly. We recently reported on Delta's delayed Atlanta to Riyadh launch being pushed to March 2027, and Air France's new Nashville service planned for May 2027, both of which illustrate how aggressively other carriers are pursuing premium international routes that American has largely stayed out of.

You can track American Airlines' current route activity using our Airline Search tool.

The Bottom Line

The departure of Brian Znotins marks a potentially significant moment for American Airlines. Under his tenure, the carrier retreated from long-haul flying at a time when competitors built out premium international networks that have since driven strong revenue performance.

One Mile at a Time points out that American's stock, which traded close to $60 in 2017, was sitting at around $12 at the time of publication, a figure that captures the scale of the commercial ground the airline has lost. Whether Andersen, or a broader leadership reset, can reverse that trajectory is the question that will define American's next chapter.

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