American Air CEO Agrees to Meet Pilots Union After Criticism

(Bloomberg) — American Airlines Group Inc. Chief Executive Office Robert Isom on Saturday responded to a flood of concerns from pilots about the company’s underperformance, days after the union threatened to hold a vote of no confidence in management.

The board of the Allied Pilots Association said in a letter late Friday that it wants Nick Silva, the union’s president, to formally present its concerns to American’s directors, arguing that the airline lacks a clear identity or credible long-term strategy.

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“Our airline is on an underperforming path and has failed to define an identity or a strategy to correct course,” the union wrote in the letter.

Isom on Saturday responded in his own letter saying he’s “interested in addressing the issues that most concern our pilots,” including the handling of winter storms, attendance policies and the business plan to “return American to its rightful place atop the industry.”

Pilots have blamed leadership for what they described as botched preparations for last month’s winter storm and disappointing financial results, calling those failures part of a broader pattern of weak execution and decision-making.

The APA represents about 16,000 pilots. The internal opposition comes as American navigates a slate of operational and strategic challenges, from having to tackle about $35 billion in debt to fighting an escalating turf war with United Airlines Holdings Inc. in Chicago.

The hurdles also include trying to win back corporate flyers alienated by an unpopular — and since reversed — marketing strategy that sought to push customers away from booking agencies in favor of buying directly through American’s website or app.

Those changes have relegated the largest US domestic carrier to middle-tier status just as demand, particularly in the lucrative premium part of the cabin, rebounds from a volatile 2025.

The pilots also criticized American’s financial trajectory, saying management has failed to fully monetize the airline’s assets despite touting industry-leading efficiency.

While competitors such as Delta Air Lines Inc. and United have strengthened free cash flow and moved toward investment-grade balance sheets, American’s performance has remained inconsistent, the union said.