American Airlines' CEO Agrees to Meet Pilots After “No Confidence” Letter

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said he would meet leaders of the Allied Pilots Association (APA) “as soon as possible,” after the union sought to present concerns directly to the airline’s board. The pilots cited ongoing operational, cultural, and strategic shortcomings, including dissatisfaction with the carrier’s response to a major winter storm in January, alongside concerns about financial performance relative to peers.

Winter storm disruption puts operational recovery in focus

The dispute follows a late-January disruption that tested American’s ability to recover its schedule at scale, a key issue for travelers when severe weather hits major hubs. The storm led to more than 9,000 cancellations, described as American’s biggest weather-related operational disruption, and crews faced long waits for assistance and difficulty securing hotel rooms, with some sleeping in terminals.

American has estimated a $150 million–$200 million hit to first-quarter revenue from the disruption, highlighting how irregular operations can quickly translate into capacity cuts, delays, and higher costs.

Profit-sharing gap fuels union criticism at American

Union criticism has also been sharpened by the optics of profit sharing. Delta Air Lines said on January 13, 2026, its employees would receive $1.3 billion in profit sharing tied to 2025 profits—an estimated 8.9 percent payout of eligible annual earnings, or more than four weeks of extra pay on average.

Meanwhile, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) called for management change and highlighted American’s much smaller payout, including an example of about $150 on $50,000 of eligible pay (0.3 percent).

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