American Airlines Flight Attendants Pass No-Confidence Vote in CEO Robert Isom

For the first time in its history, the board of the union representing American Airlines flight attendants has passed a unanimous no-confidence vote in the airline’s CEO, Robert Isom.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) said on Monday that the move comes as the airline falls “dangerously behind” its primary competitors. The board informed its 28,000 members that the vote was sparked by American’s post-pandemic financial performance, which continues to lag significantly behind its two biggest competitors, United and Delta.

The numbers back the APFA’s alarm: while American’s total revenue for 2025 was a record $54.6 billion, its GAAP net income was just $111 million—a 0.2% margin. By comparison, Delta and United also cleared billions in profit with margins of 7.9% and 5.7%, respectively.

The airline’s operational reputation has also taken a hit. American slipped from fifth to last place in the Wall Street Journal’s 2025 Airline Rankings, and it ranked dead last in the J.D. Power North America Airline Satisfaction Study for First and Business Class.

Most notably for travel advisors, the APFA specifically called out American’s failed corporate sales strategy. Launched in 2024, the move was widely seen as an attempt to bypass the trade by stripping agency clients of loyalty benefits and forcing direct bookings. The strategy sparked a swift and outsized backlash from ASTA and the U.S. travel trade before being reversed.

The union noted that the strategy, which they say was supported by Isom, eventually led to the departure of Vasu Raja, the airline’s EVP and Chief Commercial Officer.

“Management’s failed corporate sales and distribution strategy alienated key business customers and negatively impacted revenue—a major setback for the airline,” the APFA stated. The union also highlighted the optics of executive compensation, noting that after departing in June 2024, Raja received more than $462,000 in base pay through early 2025, plus nearly $1 million in severance.

The APFA is the largest unionized workgroup working at American, but it’s not the only group pushing for Isom’s ouster. The Allied Pilots Association (APA) on Friday sent a letter to American’s board demanding “decisive action” and a face-to-face meeting with directors to address what it called a “persistent pattern of operational, cultural, and strategic shortcomings.”

The pilots are now requesting that APA President Nick Silva address the board directly, bypass management, and provide a roadmap to restore an airline they say has “failed to define an identity.”