American Airlines Pilots and Flight Attendants Revolt Against Their CEO

American Airlines is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026, but the company is facing an existential threat to that celebration amid a no-confidence vote for CEO Robert Isom.

Less than a week after American Airlines' 16,000 pilots criticized top management and demanded change, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants issued a no-confidence vote for Isom. The union represents more than 28,000 American Airlines flight attendants.

The Point of Contention

In a letter issued on Monday, the flight attendants lay out exactly why they feel leadership change is needed. They list issues like being "dangerously behind" its competitors and weak financial results.

But at the forefront is Isom's "tone-deaf" response during the recent and catastrophic winter storms that brought the airline industry to a halt, forcing flight crews to sleep on the floors across the nation's airports.

Related: Major Airline Cancels Thousands of Flights as it Struggles to Recover From Winter Storm

"When the recent winter storm hamstrung our operations to the point where Flight Attendants were sleeping on airport floors, Robert Isom’s response was that it was just ‘part of our job,'" the union's letter reads. "His tone-deaf leadership shows a complete disregard for the human element and is actively harming both American Airlines and the people who keep it running every day."

The Allied Pilots Association (APA) echoed those sentiments in a letter to leadership issued last week.

The "APA understands and respects their deep frustration with Mr. Isom's leadership and his stewardship of American's lackluster financial recovery, to include the lack of a long-term strategy to catch Delta and United while defining an identity and positive culture for our airline. We have similar frustration," said Captain Dennis Tajer, spokesperson for the APA in a statement to Fox Business.

Related: American Airlines Just Earned a Dubious Distinction for Canceled Flights This Year

The APA has been voicing concerns for a year now.

American Airlines Suffers Largest Weather-Related Operational Disruption In Its History

It was just last month during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call when Isom cautioned that the numbers ahead look grim due to Winter Storm Fern, which caused more than 9,000 flight cancellations during the storm's three-day peak.

During that call, a reporter asked Isom why American Airlines was the one airline that was drastically impacted compared to others.

“I can tell you from having spent the night on campus here that the DFW area is a little bit different. And, let’s face it, DFW is big in our operation. Almost a third of our team members reside in the area,” he explained in the call. “Conditions here are still [like] a skating rink. And I’m super proud of what our team has done in terms of getting the operation back. We’re trying our best to make sure that we cancel in front and do that in a way that gives customers the most advanced notice. But there’s no mistake. DFW is still in, the sick of it, and we’ve gotta, thaw out a little bit today.”