American Airlines has taken action after three Black passengers alleged racial discrimination during the flight, CEO Robert Isom wrote in a letter sent Tuesday to airline employees. He also outlined the steps American Airlines will take to address discrimination after speaking to civil rights groups.
In the letter, obtained by CBS News, Isom wrote that leaders want to address an “unacceptable incident” in which several Black passengers were removed from the plane due to complaints about “body odor.”
“I am deeply disappointed by what happened on the flight and the breakdown of our procedures,” Isom wrote. “We failed to meet our commitments and failed our customers in this incident.”
The employees involved will be on leave while the airline conducts an investigation, American Airlines said in a later statement.
The three passengers were black sued the airline in federal court last month alleging flight attendants removed from the plane due to racial discrimination. The eight people, 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.
The flight attendants did not mention the unpleasant odor on the previous flight taken by the three plaintiffs from Los Angeles to Phoenix, the complaint said. The passenger eventually re-boarded when there were no other flights to New York with space. The plaintiff documented the incident, and in the video, gate agents appear to agree that race was a factor in the decision to remove them from the flight.
“I knew that when I got on the plane, a sea of ​​white faces would look at me and blame me for the flight being delayed for an hour,” one of the plaintiffs, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, told senior CBS News. transportation reporter Kris Van Cleave in an interview.
Xavier Veal, another plaintiff in the case, recorded the incident on the phone and said he believed if White had been there, the situation would never have happened. “We were discriminated against. The whole situation was racist,” Veal said.
There were other incidents of passengers flying American Airlines who also alleged racial discrimination, the complaint said. In 2017, the NAACP issued a travel advisory asking members not to fly on the airline. The adviser was fired eight months later after the company agreed to several stipulations, including the formation of an advisory board, NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a public statement after the new lawsuit was filed.
American Airlines disbanded the panel in 2023, the NAACP said, but racial incidents continued. “Without a swift and decisive response, the NAACP will be forced to withdraw its advice to the airlines,” Johnson said earlier this month.
Isom wrote in the letter that he spoke with Johnson about the organization’s concerns after the latest incident. He thanked Johnson for sharing his views and said American Airlines would take immediate action after the incident, including creating an advisory group and strengthening oversight and reporting mechanisms.
“The NAACP is pleased to see that American Airlines has taken the initial steps to create a path towards a more inclusive experience for all. Unfortunately, most black consumers experience racism and discrimination at the hands of the company, but it is not uncommon to see such swift and decisive action,” said Johnson in statement to CBS News. “We hope this approach will serve as a model for other companies that may be in a similar situation.”
The airline’s advisory group, the letter said, will “focus on improving the travel experience for Black customers,” and improving accountability to provide an “inclusive” travel experience. Employees will be encouraged to come forward to ensure “prompt and transparent handling” of allegations of discrimination or bias. The company said it will provide employee training, review its operational manual and create a long-term diversity plan.
“Be assured that we are firm 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 Black customers, and deliver the best experience with America,” Isom wrote.
Chris Van Cleave
