american airlines The flight attendants union plans to hold a picket in front of its headquarters on Thursday, calling for new leadership from the airline, which is lagging behind its competitors. delta airlines and united airlines In terms of profitability and punctuality.
Ahead of Wednesday night’s picket, American CEO Robert Isom tried to calm frustrated employees, listing improvements the airline expects to see this year, including surging profits and improved schedules and new cabins.
“I look forward to working with you to make this a reality,” Isom said in a video message filmed at the company’s Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters.
The picketing comes days after the Professional Flight Attendants Association, which represents American Airlines’ 28,000 flight attendants, filed a motion of no confidence against Isom, which the union said was the first of its kind. The CEO has also been criticized by the pilots union, which has called for a meeting with the airline board of which Isom is a member to discuss the issue. Unions for pilots, flight attendants and mechanics recently said the company needs to do more to improve reliability and financial performance.
The protest is an unusual move outside of contract negotiations.
Signals from labor groups have increased pressure on Mr. Isom, who took the helm nearly four years ago, and on American’s management, which has been investing in upgraded cabins, larger airport lounges and other in-flight products.
American Airlines said last month that it expects revenue and profits to increase in 2026, with adjusted earnings per share of $2.70, up from last year’s adjusted 36 cents.
American Airlines is moving ahead with renovations it hopes will help revive profits with more modern plane cabins that command higher fares, especially as coach-class fares are falling. They also built a larger lounge and added free Wi-Fi for customers.
For the first 11 months of this year, American Airlines ranked eighth with a 73.7% on-time performance rate, according to the Department of Transportation. The airline is currently making adjustments to its schedule, including more spread out flights throughout the day at its large Dallas-Fort Worth international hub.
But there is a long way to go. In 2025, American Airlines’ net income was $111 million, compared to Delta’s $5 billion and United’s more than $3.3 billion. Reduced profits mean a smaller pool of profit sharing for employees, and employees are unhappy about this.
At a town hall with employees last month, Isom noted that American Airlines pilots, flight attendants and other groups recently signed new work contracts that mean higher pay compared to their peers at rival United Airlines. However, he said he was disappointed with the profit sharing.
Flight attendants also said they were frustrated as American Airlines struggled to recover from the winter storm, leaving some crew members without a place to sleep.
“This airline is on a path that puts our careers at risk,” the flight attendants union said in a notice about the picketing. “Now is the time for flight attendants to come together and protest. American Airlines needs real accountability, decisive action, and leadership to put this airline back on a competitive path.”
Isom is also working to rally the upper management as well as gain support from frontline crews. Last week at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Isom spoke to about 6,000 managers about the next few years as the airline celebrates its 100th anniversary.
“We filled an entire Major League field with this proud and talented team, the best in the business,” he said, according to a transcript of his remarks reviewed by CNBC. “It’s incumbent upon all of us to build on our progress and ensure that American remains profitable for the next 100 years.”
