American Airlines CEO promises action after racial discrimination lawsuit

“I am incredibly disappointed by what happened on this flight and the failure of our procedures,” Isom wrote. “We failed in our obligations and failed our customers in this incident.”

In the lawsuit, filed in federal court last month, three passengers alleged that American Airlines employees removed them and five other black men from their seats on a January flight before its scheduled departure from Phoenix. Eventually, an employee told them that someone on the flight had complained about body odor, although no one had accused the plaintiffs themselves.

The men were eventually allowed to board the flight to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, but the lawsuit described the experience as “traumatic, disturbing, frightening, humiliating and degrading.” The three men who ultimately filed the lawsuit gave their contact information after the flight, but did not see the other five again.

American Airlines declined to comment on the lawsuit on Thursday. A recently filed court document said the plaintiffs and the airline had “agreed to enter into settlement discussions.”

The allegations brought American back into focus several years after the NAACP issued a travel alert in 2017 warning that black passengers could encounter “disrespectful, discriminatory or unsafe conditions” when flying with the airline.

Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said the recommendation was lifted the following year after American committed to taking action – including creating a diversity, equity and inclusion council – to prevent discrimination. In a statement earlier this month, he warned that the NAACP would have to reinstate a recommendation if the airline did not respond to the situation “quickly and decisively.” The statement said American had dissolved the DEI council in 2023 and called on the airline to revive it.

Isom wrote in his letter to employees that he had spoken to Johnson about the NAACP’s concerns. American is creating a new “oversight and excellence advisory group” to focus on improving travel for black passengers, Isom said. The airline is also updating its process for handling customer allegations of discrimination or bias, reviewing operations manuals with a focus on scenarios in which passengers could be excluded, and implementing new training to help employees “identify and address bias and discrimination.”

In an emailed statement Thursday, the NAACP said the return of that advisory panel was one of its conditions for not issuing a new recommendation.

“The NAACP is pleased that American Airlines has taken initial steps to pave a path toward a more inclusive experience for all,” the organization said. “While it is unfortunately common for Black consumers to experience racism and discrimination at the hands of companies, it is not common to see such quick and decisive action. We hope this approach serves as a model for other companies that may find themselves in a similar situation.”