American Airlines CEO Robert Isom announced that the airline would take action after three Black passengers were allegedly discriminated against during a flight. The incident involved passengers being removed from the flight due to a complaint about offensive body odor, which led to a breakdown of procedures and a failure to uphold commitments to customers. The employees involved in the incident were put on leave while the airline conducted an investigation. Three Black passengers had filed a lawsuit against the airline, claiming they were removed from a flight due to racial discrimination. The incident occurred on a flight from Phoenix to New York in January, where the passengers were not traveling together and appeared to be the only Black passengers on the plane.
The complaint stated that flight attendants did not mention any offensive odor on an earlier flight the plaintiffs took. However, they were eventually reboarded after no other flights to New York had available space. The incident was recorded by the plaintiffs, and in the video, a gate agent appeared to agree that race was a factor in the decision to remove the men from the flight. One of the plaintiffs expressed feeling discriminated against due to being the only Black passengers on the plane, while another believed that the situation would not have occurred if they were White. The lawsuit also referenced other incidents of passengers flying American Airlines who had alleged racial discrimination, including a travel advisory issued by the NAACP in 2017 urging members not to fly on the airline, which was later lifted after the company agreed to certain stipulations.
Following the recent incident and lawsuit, American Airlines engaged with civil rights groups to address discrimination. CEO Robert Isom spoke with NAACP President Derrick Johnson about the concerns raised by the organization and outlined immediate actions to be taken by the airline. These included creating an advisory group focused on improving the travel experience for Black customers, strengthening oversight and reporting mechanisms, implementing employee training, reviewing operational manuals, and instituting a long-term diversity plan. The airline’s actions were met with approval by the NAACP, who commended the swift and decisive response to the incident and expressed hope that it would serve as a model for other corporations in similar situations.
The NAACP had previously issued a travel advisory against American Airlines in 2017 due to racial incidents, which was later lifted after the company agreed to certain measures. However, the advisory group was disbanded in 2023, and racial incidents continued to occur. The recent incident prompted the NAACP to warn that they may reinstate the advisory if swift and decisive action was not taken. American Airlines’ commitment to working with civil rights organizations, addressing discrimination, and rebuilding trust with employees and customers was highlighted in Isom’s letter to employees. The airline’s efforts to create a more inclusive travel experience for Black customers and promote accountability through training, oversight, and reporting mechanisms were emphasized as part of their commitment to addressing discrimination and bias.
