American Airlines Suspends Employees Following Incident Involving Black Passengers

Several American Airlines employees have been suspended following an incident in which black passengers were removed from a flight due to a complaint about body odour. This action comes after three passengers filed a lawsuit in May, accusing the airline of racial discrimination in connection with the January 5 incident.

In a memo to employees, CEO Robert Isom described the incident as unacceptable and acknowledged that the company “fell short” of its commitment to customers. “We are holding those involved accountable, including removing team members from service,” the airline stated.

American Airlines has also announced several initiatives to prevent similar incidents, including the creation of an “advisory group” focused on the experiences of black passengers.

The lawsuit filed in May involves three men—Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal—who did not know each other and were not seated together. They claimed that every black man on the flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York City was removed, totaling eight passengers. “American Airlines singled us out for being black, embarrassed us, and humiliated us,” they said in a statement.

Although the three men were eventually allowed to return to their seats, the incident has sparked significant criticism. In a letter dated June 18, CEO Isom expressed his “incredibly disappointed by what happened on the flight and the breakdown of our procedures.” He emphasized the airline’s commitment to working with civil rights organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), to “rebuild trust.”

This incident is not the first time American Airlines has faced allegations of discrimination. In 2017, the NAACP issued a travel advisory warning black travelers to avoid the airline, citing a pattern of “disrespectful” and “discriminatory” behavior and a “corporate culture of racial insensitivity and possible racial bias.” The advisory was lifted the following year after the airline implemented changes to its operations.

However, on June 4 of this year, the NAACP warned that it might reinstate the advisory unless American Airlines provided a “swift and decisive response” to the January incident.