American Airlines CEO vows to “rebuild trust” after removal of Black passengers

American Airlines took action after three black passengers alleged racial discrimination during a flight, CEO Robert Isom wrote in a letter sent Tuesday to the airline’s employees. He also detailed steps American Airlines would take to address discrimination after speaking with civil rights groups.

In the letter, obtained by CBS News, Isom wrote that leadership wanted to address an “unacceptable incident” in which several black passengers were removed from a flight because of a complaint about “offensive body odor.”

“I am extremely disappointed in what happened on that flight and the failure in our procedures,” Isom wrote. “We did not meet our commitments and failed our customers in this incident.”

The employees involved were said to be on leave while the airline conducted an investigation, American Airlines said in a later statement.

Three black passengers sued the airline in federal court last month, alleging that flight attendants removed them from the flight due to racial discrimination. Eight men, all flying from Phoenix to New York on Flight 832 in January, were not traveling together, did not know each other and appeared to be the only black passengers on the plane, according to the complaint.

Flight attendants made no mention of the offensive odor on a previous flight the three plaintiffs took from Los Angeles to Phoenix, the complaint said. Passengers ended up being reboarded when there were no other flights to New York with space. The plaintiffs recorded the incident, and in the video, a gate agent appeared to agree that race was a factor in the decision to remove the men from the flight.

“I knew that as soon as I got on that plane, a sea of ​​white faces would be looking at me and blaming me for the hour-long delayed flight,” one of the plaintiffs, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, told CBS News Senior. transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave in an interview.

Xavier Veal, another plaintiff in the case, recorded the incident on his phone and said he believes that if he had been a white man the situation probably would not have happened. “We were discriminated against. The whole situation was racist,” Veal said.

There have been other incidents with passengers flying American Airlines who also alleged racial discrimination, the complaint said. In 2017, the NAACP issued a travel advisory urging members not to fly the airline. The statement was suspended eight months later after the company agreed to numerous stipulations, including the formation of an advisory board, NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement. a public statement after the recent lawsuit was filed.

American Airlines disbanded the panel in 2023, the NAACP said, but racial incidents continued. “Without a quick and decisive response, the NAACP will be forced to reinstate an alert against the airline,” Johnson said earlier this month.

Isom wrote in his letter that he spoke with Johnson about the organization’s concerns following the most recent incident. He thanked Johnson for sharing his views and said American Airlines would take immediate action in the aftermath, including creating an advisory group and strengthening oversight and reporting mechanisms.

“The NAACP is pleased to see that American Airlines has taken the first steps toward paving a path toward a more inclusive experience for everyone. While it is unfortunately common for Black consumers to experience racism and discrimination at the hands of companies, it is not common to see such swift and decisive action,” Johnson said in a statement to CBS News. “We hope this approach serves as a model for other companies that may encounter in similar situations.”

The airline’s advisory group, the letter said, would “focus on improving the travel experience for customers of color” and promote accountability to provide an “inclusive” travel experience. Employees will be encouraged to speak out to ensure “swift and transparent handling” related to allegations of discrimination or bias. The company said it will provide employee training, review operating manuals and institute a long-term diversity plan.

“Rest assured that we are steadfast in our commitment to work with the NAACP and other civil rights organizations to learn from this incident, listen and rebuild trust with you, our team members and our Black customers, and to provide the best experience possible with American,” Isom wrote.