Wednesday, June 3, marked a well‑earned celebration for the Envoy and American Airlines teams at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), as they proudly claimed their first quarter of 2026 (1Q26) American Airlines Customer Cup victory. Nearly a decade since their last win, this year’s achievement came with an extra reason to cheer: the team also earned the title of 1Q26 Envoy Safety Challenge champions.
For Envoy CLE General Manager Stephen Shaffer, the accomplishment reflects not just a strong start to the year, but a cultural shift that began way before. “This didn’t start in Q1,” he said. “It started in June 2025 when we set goals as a team, held town halls across American and Envoy and had tough conversations that led us to changing behaviors, focusing on results and winning a Customer Cup.”
With more than 130 employees across American and Envoy at the station, it was the combined team’s persistence and resilience that made the win possible. Employees stay engaged in their metrics daily, tracking where they rank nationwide.
By setting goals together, they were able to work toward them with intention. “With persistence and determination, success is there,” Shaffer said. With nearly 2,600 flights and almost 200,000 customers — the third highest count on record for the station for the quarter — the team achieved a 76.7% load factor, one of the best in station history.
Beyond teamwork, Shaffer emphasized the importance of the station’s partnership with American. “Team Cleveland is Envoy and American,” he said. Weekly meetings between both groups ensure above‑the‑wing and below‑the‑wing operations stay aligned. By mid‑February, employees across both teams realized they had a real shot at the Cup and we chased it together.
Teamwork played a major role in reaching this milestone. “Our MBR and wheelchair MBR performance were huge contributors,” Shaffer said. “Taking care of baggage and wheelchairs, offloading bags quickly and handling mobility devices with care — when you focus on those secondary metrics, everything else falls into place.”
In addition to the Customer Cup, CLE also won the Envoy Safety Challenge, a companywide effort to keep safety at the center of every operation. Two employees — Admin Lead Leeajah Lewis and Supervisor Ryan McLaughlin — went above and beyond to support the win, working with agents to create real-life scenarios that reinforced proper safety procedures
Congratulations to CLE, and may these achievements be just the start of excellence driven by teamwork, drive and persistence.