Unions representing pilots and cabin crew at American Airlines have called for change at the top of the business in recent days, expressing concerns about many aspects of the US major’s performance and strategy.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants issued a “unanimous vote of no confidence” in American chief executive Robert Isom on 9 February. That followed a statement issued by the Allied Pilots Association on 6 February, which included a line saying it had “lost confidence in management’s ability to correct course”. The latter organisation requested that its president, Nick Silva, be given the opportunity to present the union’s concerns to American’s board.
Both unions cite concerns about American’s performance compared with its peers in the post-Covid period, with the APFA saying the airline has fallen “dangerously behind” competitors. Among other issues, they also cite recent weather-related disruption in the USA, from which American was particularly slow to recover, and a “failed corporate sales strategy” that saw the business abandon a shift towards direct distribution in 2024.
“From abysmal profits earned to operational failures that have front-line workers sleeping on floors, this airline must course-correct before it falls even further behind,” says Julie Hedrick, APFA president.
“This level of failure begins at the very top, with CEO Robert Isom.”
The APA specifically cites the advantage that Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have accrued over American in recent years.
“Management self-lauds their proclaimed industry-leading ‘efficiency’, yet they fail to fully monetise the assets under their charge and leave us in a revenue-trailing position compared to Delta and United,” it says.
It adds that its concerns reflect “persistent patterns of operational, cultural, and strategic shortcomings”.
For its part, American points to Isom’s comments during American’s recent full-year earnings call.
“I’m excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for American as we begin to see the benefits of our work in 2026,” he said on 27 January. “Our strategy to deliver on American’s revenue potential centres on four key areas: delivering a consistent, elevated customer experience, maximising the power of our network and fleet, building partnerships that deepen loyalty and lifetime value, and continuing to advance our sales, distribution, and revenue management efforts.
“While this has been a multi-year effort, 2026 will be the year these efforts start to bear fruit.”
Reports suggest Isom is likely to meet with the APA in the coming days.
American’s full-year 2025 operating profit of $1.5 billion was half that achieved in 2023 and more than $1 billion lower year on year, while it only recorded a small net profit of $111 million, having recorded net profits of above $800 million in the preceding two years. In contrast, Delta recorded a full-year net profit of $5 billion in 2025, while United achieved a profit of $3.4 billion.
The APFA represents more than 28,000 flight attendants at American, while the APA represents more than 16,000 pilots at the Oneworld operator.
