American airlines The flight attendants’ union organized a picket in front of the company’s headquarters on Thursday to demand new management within the carrier, which is lagging behind its competitors. Delta Airlines And United Airlines in profitability and punctuality.
Before Wednesday night’s picket, U.S. CEO Robert Isom sought to calm frustrated employees and listed improvements the carrier expects this year, including increased profits as well as schedule improvements and new cabins.
“We look forward to working with all of you to make this happen,” Isom said in a video message filmed at the airline’s headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas.
The picket came days after the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents American’s 28,000 cabin crew members, issued a vote of no confidence in Isom, which the union said was the first such action. The chief executive was also criticized by the pilots’ union, which requested a meeting with the airline’s board, of which Isom is a member, to discuss the problems. Pilots, flight attendants and mechanics unions have all recently said the company needs to do better to improve its reliability and bottom line.
The protest is an unusual move outside of contract negotiations.
Signals from labor groups have increased pressure on Isom, who took the helm nearly four years ago, and on American’s management team, which is investing in cabin upgrades, larger airport lounges and other onboard products.
Last month, American forecast higher revenue and profit for 2026 and said it expected to report adjusted earnings per share of up to $2.70, up from an adjusted 36 cents last year.
American is in the midst of an overhaul that it hopes will help revive profits through more modern plane cabins that command higher fares, especially important as coach class fares have fallen. It also built larger lounges and added free Wi-Fi for guests.
For the first 11 months of the year, American ranked eighth in on-time performance with an on-time rate of 73.7 percent, according to the Department of Transportation. It is now adjusting its schedules, including at its huge international hub in Dallas-Fort Worth, where it is spreading its flights more throughout the day.
But there is a long way to go. In 2025, American reported net income of $111 million, compared to Delta’s $5 billion and United’s more than $3.3 billion. The drop in profits led to reduced profit sharing for employees, something staff members complained about.
At a town hall meeting with employees last month, Isom noted that American’s pilots, flight attendants and other groups recently reached new labor contracts that earned them higher salaries than their counterparts at rival United. But he said he was disappointed by the profit sharing.
Flight attendants also said they were frustrated by American’s struggles to recover from severe winter storms, which left some crew members without a place to sleep.
Picket crew members on Thursday carried signs reading “Everything froze, AA melted,” referring to the disruptions, and “Failed Ops = Failed CEO,” in a nod to the carrier’s operations.
“This airline is heading down a path that puts our careers at risk,” the flight attendants union said in a statement regarding the picket. “Now is the time for flight attendants to unite and protest. American Airlines needs real accountability, decisive action and leadership that will put this airline back on the path to competitiveness.”
Isom is also trying to not only gain the support of the frontline teams, but also to rally the higher-ups. Last week at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Isom spoke to about 6,000 managers about the years ahead as the airline celebrates its 100th anniversary.
“We filled an entire Major League Baseball field with this proud and talented team. The best in the business,” he said, according to a transcript of his remarks, which was seen by CNBC. “It is up to all of us to build on our progress…and ensure we increase our profitability so that America will be here for the next 100 years.”