American Airlines Fires Staff Following Black Passenger Removal Incident

Following the removal of black customers due to a body odor complaint, American Airlines suspended staff, sparking a racial discrimination lawsuit.

Due to their role in an incident when black customers were removed from an aircraft after a body odor complaint, many American Airlines personnel have been suspended.

Three travelers sued the airline in May, claiming that the incident on January 5th was the result of racial prejudice.

Robert Isom, the CEO, wrote a note to the staff informing them that the event was unacceptable and that the business “fell short” of its customer commitment.

The airline released a statement saying, “We are holding those involved accountable, including removing team members from service.”

American Airlines has also stated a number of steps it is taking to stop these kinds of situations, such as forming a “advisory group” that will concentrate on the experiences of Black customers.

Three guys who were not sitting together and did not know each other filed the May lawsuit alleging that all black men were taken off the Phoenix to New York City trip.

In all, eight passengers were kicked from the aircraft.

They released a statement saying, “American Airlines singled us out for being black, embarrassed us, and humiliated us.”

Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal, the three men, said that they were singled out by American Airlines due to their race, which embarrassed and dehumanized them.

In the end, the men were permitted to go back to their seats on the first flight.

Isom stated that he was “extremely disappointed by what happened on the flight and the breakdown of our procedures” in a letter to staff members dated June 18.

He remarked, “We failed our customers and we didn’t live up to our promises.”

In order to restore confidence, Isom reaffirmed the airline’s commitment to working with civil rights groups including The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Allegations of discrimination against American Airlines are not new.

The airline was recommended to black travelers by the NAACP in 2017 due avoiding a “corporate culture of racial insensitivity and possible racial bias” and a history of “disrespectful” and “discriminatory” behavior.

Following the airline’s implementation of operational adjustments, the advice was rescinded the following year.

But on June 4 of this year, the NAACP issued a warning, threatening to rescind the advisory if American Airlines did not act quickly and forcefully in response to the January event.