American Airlines Pilots Lose Confidence in CEO Isom as Board Refuses Direct Meeting

The crisis engulfing American Airlines CEO Robert Isom deepened this week as the Allied Pilots Association declared it has "lost confidence in management's ability to correct course," adding to a growing revolt from the carrier's workforce over chronic underperformance.

The APA, representing more than 16,000 pilots, wrote to the airline's board of directors on 6th February demanding that union president Captain Nick Silva be granted a direct audience with the board to present concerns over what the union described as an airline "on an underperforming path" that has "failed to define an identity or a strategy to correct course."

The board declined the request. Instead, it offered up Isom himself — who sits on the board — to engage with the union. In a letter the following day, the CEO said the board had discussed the matter "at length" and agreed it was "most appropriate" that he meet with union leadership directly, proposing to do so "as soon as possible."

As of this week, that meeting has not yet taken place, though two flight operations leaders did meet separately with the union to discuss recent operational problems. The APA told members afterwards that "our pilots will not accept platitudes."

The board's decision to shield itself from direct engagement with the pilots and send Isom instead has been widely interpreted as a signal that directors continue to back the embattled CEO — frustrating a union that had deliberately stopped short of issuing a formal vote of no confidence in favour of seeking constructive dialogue.

At the heart of the pilots' frustration is a stark financial reality. American made just $111 million in profit in 2025, compared with $5 billion at Delta and $3.4 billion at United on comparable revenues. The airline's botched recovery from Winter Storm Fern, which saw over 9,000 flight cancellations and left crew members stranded, further eroded confidence.

Industry observers suggest that if the first quarter of 2026 fails to deliver a marked improvement, the board may finally be forced to act on the leadership question it has so far refused to confront.