Who's running the show at American Airlines

A new executive is taking the helm at American Airlines parent AMR Corp. as the nation's third-largest carrier heads into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

After a little more than a year in the role of president, Thomas W. Horton will take on the additional role of CEO. He's replacing Gerard Arpey, who told the board late Monday he will step down.

Horton, 50, was first named president of AMR and American last July. Before that, he was executive vice president of finance and planning as well as its chief financial officer. He was named to that role in March 2006 when he returned to the airline from AT&T Inc., where he had been vice chairman and chief financial officer.

Horton originally joined the airline in 1985, holding a number of senior financial executive roles. From 1998 to 2000, he was vice president responsible for the airline's European business.

He became CFO and senior vice president in 2000.

Arpey received compensation valued at more than $5.2 million last year, an 11 percent increase over 2009, according to an Associated Press analysis of a regulatory filing. The boost in AMR Corp. CEO Gerard Arpey's compensation was almost entirely due to higher values on stock grants and options at the time they were granted. The board of AMR said Arpey's compensation was below that of most leaders of similarly sized companies ranging from retailers to defense contractors.

Arpey, 53, was CEO since 2003 and chairman since 2004.