American Airlines CEO says removing several black passengers from flight was ‘unacceptable’

DALLAS (AP) – American Airlines has placed an unspecified variety of employees on leave over their involvement in an incident that resulted in several Black passengers being removed from a flight in Phoenix, allegedly over a body odor criticism.

US CEO Robert Isom wrote in a memo to employees that the incident was unacceptable.

“I am incredibly disappointed by what occurred on this flight and the violation of our procedures,” Isom wrote in a memo this week. “This goes against our values. (…)In this incident, we failed to live up to our commitments and let our customers down.”

Last month, three black passengers sued the airline, alleging they were removed from a January flight attributable to racial discrimination. They said they were told a white flight attendant had complained about an unidentified body odor from a passenger.

The men said they didn’t know one another and were sitting individually while waiting for a plane to New York. The three said they were amongst eight passengers – all Black men on board, they said – who were told to depart the plane.

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The men said they demanded a proof for his or her removal during a confrontation with airline staff on the jet’s bridge. At least certainly one of the boys recorded the discussion and captured an airline worker who, based on the lawsuit, appears to agree that the boys were discriminated against.

After a delay of about an hour, they were allowed to return to the plane.

The American didn’t specify what number of employees were placed on leave or what position they held. A spokesman for the airline said: “We are holding those involved accountable, including removing team members from service.”

Isom said American will create an advisory group that may deal with the experiences of Black customers, promote reporting of allegations of discrimination and improve diversity training to “focus on real-world situations to help recognize and address bias and discrimination.”

In his memo, previously reported by CBS News, Isom stated that he had discussed the incident with the president of the NAACP. The Civil Rights Group didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment on Thursday.

In the recent past, the American faced allegations of discrimination. In 2017, the NAACP warned Black travelers against traveling on the airline, saying several African American passengers experienced discrimination from airline employees. American promised to make changes, and the NAACP rescinded the advice nearly nine months later.