Horton first started with AMR in 1985 as a financial analyst.[5] He rose to Vice President (starting in 1998) and Controller (starting in 2000). He left in 2002 to join AT&T but returned in in July 2006 when he was named Executive Vice President — Finance and Planning and Chief Financial Officer of AMR and American.[4][6][7]
In July 2010 he was named president of the airline.[4][6]
On November 29, 2011, he was named to succeed Gerard Arpey as CEO. The announcement was the same day as American declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. American listed $30 billion in debts and $25 billion in assets with $4 billion in cash reserves. Horton noted in the bankruptcy announcement that American was paying $800 million/year more in labor costs that its major competitors. Negotiations between the airline and its labor unions had stalled.[8
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Subject: Thomas W. Horton 
Thu Dec 01, 2011 10:53 am
