Robert Isom, the chief executive of American Airlines, whose flight attendants issued a vote of no confidence against him earlier this week, has recorded a new video message to staffers, reassuring them that they should be excited and confident about the carrier’s future.
A transcript of the video, first obtained by trusted aviation insider Jon NYC on X, suggests that Isom has no plans to go anywhere and that the last few years of painful financial results that have seen it lag behind Delta and United Airlines were all part of a bigger plan to set the airline up for success in 2026.
“As we look forward to 2026, it’s with a lot of excitement and confidence. I know we’re going to do better financially and operationally. We have a plan to be solidly profitable this year, which will mean good things for our customers, our shareholders, and all of you,” Isom said.
“We will reclaim American’s reputation as the world’s premium global airline,” Isom continued, before going on to explain what plans the carrier has up its sleeves. For seasoned travelers, much of Isom’s strategy will seem like more of the same:
- The airline will continue to “maximize the power” of its domestic network.
- Retrofits of single-aisle planes with the unpopular ‘Oasis’ interiors that lack seatback screens will continue as planned.
- Isom is doubling down on running an on-time operation as a differential.
- Staffers are being asked to do more to make passengers happy.
And Isom has made it clear that the board and other senior executives in the company are behind him, saying: “It’s a strategy that our board is behind, and our senior leadership team is committed to and accountable for. And we look forward to working with all of you to make it happen.”
On Monday, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), the official union of more than 28,000 crew members at American Airlines, announced that its board had issued a unanimous vote of no confidence in Isom due to his handling of the airline’s failing business strategy.
To drive its message home, the union plans to hold a protest outside the airline’s luxe corporate headquarters campus in Dallas Fort Worth dubbed ‘Skyview,‘ where they will once again call for Isom to step down or be removed.
The airline’s pilots, represented by the Allied Pilots Association (APA), didn’t go so far as to issue a vote of no confidence in Isom, but the union’s leadership did demand a meeting with the American board of directors to address their concerns.
The board rejected that demand and instead offered up Isom – a tacit indication that the board stands behind the embattled chief executive.
Here’s the full text of Isom’s video message:
“Good afternoon, everyone. Given all that’s going on with our airline right now, I wanted to share more about where we’re heading in 2026. Last year was a tough year, no doubt about it. And I know some of you are still recovering from the winter storms just a couple of weeks ago.
As we look forward to 2026, it’s with a lot of excitement and confidence. I know we’re going to do better financially and operationally. We have a plan to be solidly profitable this year, which will mean good things for our customers, our shareholders, and all of you, especially in regard to future profit sharing to go along with our industry-leading contracts.
We will reclaim American’s reputation as the world’s premium global airline. And we shared how we’ll do that with our 6,000 frontline leaders last week at our Journey Leadership Conference. It’s a strategy that our board is behind, and our senior leadership team is committed to and accountable for. And we look forward to working with all of you to make it happen.
Thanks to your efforts, we’ve laid the foundation for all of this over the last few years. And in 2026, these efforts will produce meaningful results. Here’s what we’re doing:
- First, we’ll continue to improve the customer experience. We’re following through on this commitment with free Wi-Fi, new lounges, better food and beverage offerings, and even more advanced technology to help our customers along their journeys, especially when it comes to recovering from disruptions.
- On top of this, we’re making significant investment in facilities at several of our hubs, including DFW, Los Angeles, and Miami. Customers are noticing, and their approval is showing up in our net promoter scores. We need to execute on these improvements every day, and we are.
- Second, in 2026, we have a plan to maximize the power of our network and our fleet. The US is the most important aviation market in the world, and no one serves it better than American. This year, we’re excited to grow the airline at its fastest rate in years. You’ll see this in Philadelphia, Miami, Phoenix, and of course Chicago, and throughout the rest of the system.
- And you’ve heard about some of the new routes that we’ve announced for the summer and beyond. We’ve added thousands of frontline team members over the past few years to support this growth, including more than 7,500 flight attendants and more than 5,000 pilots, and thousands of airport and tech ops team members. All of this is great news for our team.
- And to further support all this, we’ve taken delivery of hundreds of new aircraft over the past few years, with another 55 expected to join our fleet this year, including the premium Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321 XLR, both of which include our flagship suites. We’re also retrofitting hundreds of additional aircraft across our existing widebody and narrowbody fleets. And all of this is the culmination of work that began years ago.
- Third, our AAdvantage program, the first and still the largest airline loyalty program, offers tremendous opportunities to strengthen ties with our customers and our partners. We invented airline loyalty, and Advantage is the best and most valuable loyalty program in the industry. Our new card partnership with Citi, which started in January, is key to unlocking future growth and revenue, and that’s a big deal.
- Finally, we’re doing a much better job of selling our product, and we must do more. We’ve regained our share of corporate revenue, and the next step is to push it even further. We’ve brought on resources and tools to make sure our products are easier and more accessible for customers, and I know that will make all of our products, especially our premium products, more appealing to our customers and ultimately drive more revenue.
Now, we all know that to accomplish these goals and take care of our customers, we need to run a fantastic operation, much better than our customers experienced over the last year. Disruptions are going to happen, and I commit to you that we will do everything possible to make recovery go more smoothly and painlessly for you and for our customers.
You’ll notice that we’re rebanking DFW beginning in April to pull down peaks. And in addition, we’ve buffered the system with spare resources, including people and time. Just know this: we’re committed to setting up our team for success, no matter the conditions they face, to meet the needs of our customers. And that’s why we’re in this business—to care for people on life’s journey. The better we take care of our customers and team, the better off our company will be.
To accomplish all this, it’ll take all of us working as one team. And please know this: I’m always open to meeting with our union partners. And to you, as you know, I always look forward to our interactions, whether it’s at the gate, on the flight deck, in the cabin, in your break rooms, or here at the Skyview campus.
Leading American is a privilege and a great responsibility. I’m proud to work with all of you, and I’m more confident than ever in our future and what we’ll accomplish this year. It starts with leadership at the top, with me. And it’ll take all of us focused on our future. And I know we can do it together. Thank you for everything you do.”
A familiar song.
Often followed a few months later by a decision to spend more time with ones family.