Table of Contents which have allowed them to grow quickly, reinvest in their product and expand their global presence. We expect this to continue after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. Competition had also been increasing from low-cost airlines executing international long-haul expansion strategies, a trend we also expect to continue after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides and the delivery of planned, long-range narrowbody aircraft commences. In order to increase our ability to compete for international air transportation service, which is subject to extensive government regulation, U.S. and foreign carriers have entered into bilateral and multilateral marketing relationships, alliances, cooperation agreements and joint business agreements to exchange traffic among each other’s flights and route networks. See “ Distribution and Marketing Agreements ” above for further discussion. The airline business is labor intensive, and our team members are our most important asset. The operational complexity of our business requires a diverse team of personnel trained and experienced in a variety of technical areas such as flight operations, ground operations, safety and maintenance, customer service, and airline scheduling and planning. We believe that if we create an environment where our team members feel supported, they will take care of our customers and thereby support the success of our business. To do this, we must continue to build a diverse and inclusive environment, helping all team members reach their full potential and providing them with the right resources and support. We give our team members the tools, training and resources they need to do their best work and stay true to our purpose – caring for people on life’s journey. We have a suite of programs aimed at helping our people develop the skills and experience to succeed in their roles and build rewarding, long-term careers within our company. Additionally, we’ve partnered with leading online learning platforms to make professional development available on-demand to all our team members. Cultivating an environment that celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a top priority for us, and we seek to create a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and encouraged, where team members feel comfortable to be their authentic selves and where we are always learning from one another. In 2020, we: 11 Our People Talent Development Diversity, Equity and Inclusion • established the role of Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer and created the DEI office within our talent function so that hiring and development is viewed through the lens of equity and inclusion; • formed a team member experience organization to listen to the concerns of team members; • launched an Executive Sponsorship Program whereby a group of 15 Black leaders have been paired with an executive leader for a year-long mentorship program; this program will be scaled to an expanded audience starting in late 2021; • created an implicit bias training program delivered to approximately 105,000 team members; • launched an external community council composed of executives and a cross-section of Black community leaders to provide feedback on our company initiatives; and • formed a specialized customer relations team to listen to, resolve and learn from customer complaints of discrimination. Our DEI goals include: • diversifying our leadership team by establishing specific objectives and laying out a plan to achieve them, including by enhancing our recruiting, development and mentoring programs; • providing additional learning opportunities beyond implicit bias to generate further education and awareness of diversity and inclusion matters; and • pledging to assist Black youth in developing job skills and expanding access to well-paying careers as part of our overall strategy to increase opportunities in our hub cities and Tulsa, Oklahoma, where our largest maintenance facility is based.