There are mounting calls for Robert Isom, the beleaguered chief executive of American Airlines, to be shown the door as the Fort Worth-based carrier continues to fall further behind Delta and United.
Yesterday, American Airlines announced that its profits for 2025 had plummeted 87% on the year before, and the blame for the carrier’s poor financial returns and questionable strategy is, understandably, being directed at Isom.
It feels like Isom facing the axe as American’s CEO is becoming more a question of when and not if… and there are rumors that a date has now been set.
If those rumors are to be believed, the American Airlines board has been waiting for the anniversary of the fatal mid-air crash of American Eagle flight 5342 to be commemorated.
Thursday marks the first anniversary of the Potomac River tragedy, which claimed the lives of all 64 passengers and crew on board the CRJ regional jet, along with three victims who were in the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with the plane.
In the immediate aftermath of the deadly crash, Isom was praised for his calm and authoritative demeanour, putting out a video statement that was a masterclass in crisis communications.
In fact, the statement proved to be so successful that when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner was involved in a fatal crash on June 12, chief executive Campbell Wilson was accused of plagiarising Isom’s words for his own video address.
As the chief executive of American Airlines at the time of the crash, Isom will play a key part in the anniversary commemorations, and turmoil at the top of the airline would be totally inappropriate at such a somber moment.
That being said, there are rumors that the board will make moves to replace Isom by the end of February, as shared by aviation insider, JonNYC, on X.
If this does happen, who they might bring in to reimagine AA’s strategy remains to be seen.
In the last year, Isom and his leadership team have started work to make the airline more premium and, therefore, better placed to compete with Delta and United. Critics, however, say the airline’s strategy is still confused, and current efforts haven’t gone nearly far enough to differentiate AA from competitors.
Under Isom’s watch, American Airlines embarked on a plan to make its domestic network and schedule the ‘product.’ This essentially was used as an excuse to make extensive cost cuts across the business that dented the airline’s premium image.
The obvious issue with this strategy is that American Airlines was left competing with low-cost carriers, operating on razor-thin margins but with the large overheads of a legacy carrier.
Unions representing various workgroups at American have been calling for change for some time, and after Wednesday’s poor financial results were released, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) wasted no time in calling for Isom to be sacked.
“The employees at American Airlines, our passengers, and the investors can no longer wait for Robert Isom and the American Airlines Board of Directors to deliver on their empty promises,” the union slammed.
“As the entire industry leaves American Airlines in the dust, it is time for new leadership and a new vision for American Airlines,” an internal memo continued.
The issue that APFA has with Isom and his leadership team is clear: they don’t know what American Airlines is meant to be as an airline, and as a result, they feel disenfranchised. All while the airline continues to fall further behind its rivals.
At this point, many workers feel that Isom’s time is up and only change at the very top will be enough to turn the tide.
