American Airlines embarked on a journey to enhance the developer experience by building the Runway platform on Spotify’s Backstage, aiming to simplify Kubernetes app deployments. The initiative focused on reproducible patterns and open-source technologies, such as the Kuma service mesh, to facilitate easier application management, API security, and cross-region support. The Runway platform allows for straightforward app deployment with minimal configuration through automation and abstraction layers, reducing the need for extensive Kubernetes expertise. By integrating tools like Argo CD and Rancher, the platform enables quick app creation and deployment, fostering greater app portability and reduced reliance on cloud providers. Through these advancements, American Airlines seeks to maintain high engineering standards and contribute to open-source communities while improving internal processes and customer experiences.