Pilots and Flight Attendants Criticize American Airlines’ Performance

Pilots and flight attendants at American Airlines have become so fed up with the company’s leadership that their frustrations have spilled into public view in recent days.

The union that represents the airline’s 28,000 flight attendants said on Monday that its board had issued a unanimous vote of no confidence in the company’s chief executive, Robert Isom. And on Friday, the union that represents 16,000 pilots asked to meet with the board of directors, saying American was “on an underperforming path and has failed to define an identity or a strategy to correct course.”

The rebukes are notable because neither union is in the middle of negotiating a new contract with the airline, when workers and managers are often at loggerheads about many issues.

American has lost substantial ground to Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in recent years. In 2024 and 2025, Delta earned about 56 percent of the U.S. airline industry’s total profits, according to data from SP Capital IQ. United earned about 43 percent, while American came in third at 6 percent despite being the largest carrier based on the number of flights and passengers. Pilots and flight attendants at all three airlines earn a share of company profits.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/business/american-airlines-pilots-flight-attendants-unions.html