The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) has issued a vote of no confidence in Robert Isom, chief executive officer of American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth).

In a statement issued earlier this week, the union claimed that the airline “is falling dangerously behind its competitors, and the current leadership has failed to change course.”

In particular, it is angered at compensation packages that top executives have awarded themselves despite American’s “deteriorating financial and operational performance,” as well as a sales and distribution debacle that alienated high-revenue customers by trying to prise them away from booking agencies in favour of buying direct. The latter strategy has since been reversed.

“We are not interested in being asked, yet again, to sacrifice or bail out a company that continues to reward failed leadership while falling further behind. Employees have already borne the cost of the company’s repeated failures,” the APFA said, adding that many employees have lived through bankruptcies, wage and work rule concessions, and years of instability at American and its predecessor airlines.

In parallel, the Allied Pilots Association, representing around 16,000 pilots who fly for American, has called for a meeting with the carrier’s board of directors to address concerns about leadership and performance, Bloomberg reported. Isom agreed to the meeting.

While American has posted a net profit for years, its biggest rivals United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have been posting higher margins.

During a 2025 full-year earnings call, Isom pledged that 2026 would start delivering results based on the foundation built in 2025.

"Our strategy to deliver on American’s revenue potential centres on four key areas: delivering a consistent, elevated customer experience, maximising the power of our network and fleet, building partnerships that deepen loyalty and lifetime value, and continuing to advance our sales, distribution, and revenue management efforts," Isom said.