American Airlines CEO Doug Parker to retire, President Robert Isom to take reins

American Airlines Group announced Doug Parker will retire as Chief Executive Officer of American Airlines on March 31, 2022. Robert Isom, currently President of American, will succeed him. Isom also will join the airline’s board of directors on that same date, and Parker will continue to serve as chairman of American’s board.

'I have worked with Robert for two decades and I am incredibly pleased that he will be the next CEO of American Airlines, which is truly the best job in our industry,' Parker said. 'Robert is a collaborative leader with deep operational expertise and global industry experience. I feel extremely fortunate to hand the reins to this clear and capable leader.'

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Isom, who was named President in 2016, brings more than 30 years of global industry and leadership experience across finance, operations, planning, marketing, sales, alliances, pricing and revenue management.

'I am humbled to serve as CEO of American Airlines,' said Isom. 'Over the past several years, our airline and our industry have gone through a period of transformative change. And with change comes opportunity. Today, our more than 130,000 dedicated team members fly more people than any other U.S. airline on the youngest fleet of all the network carriers, and we are positioned to continue to lead the industry as travel rebounds.'

Isom added, 'I want to thank Doug for his partnership over the past two decades. He is a leader and teacher who inspires all around him and leaves an incredible legacy at American and in our industry.'

Lead Independent Director John Cahill said, ‘The board views succession planning as one of our most important mandates, and today’s announcement represents the culmination of a thoughtful and well-crafted succession planning process.’

Cahill concluded, 'Over the span of his 35-year career, Doug has been an architect and advocate for a more vibrant, resilient and secure aviation industry. At American, Doug has overseen unprecedented investment in our team and our product and set the standard for servant leadership, tirelessly championing our people and establishing an accessible and inclusive culture. We look forward to continuing to benefit from Doug’s sound judgement, deep industry knowledge, persistence and optimism as chairman of our board.'