Robert Isom to Succeed Doug Parker as CEO of American Airlines

(08 Dec 2021)  Robert Isom, currently president of American Airlines, will succeed Doug Parker as CEO when he retires on 31 March 2022.

Robert will also join the airline’s board of directors on the same day, while Doug will continue to serve as chairman of American’s board.

Robert Isom

“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,” Doug said. “Robert is a collaborative leader with deep operational expertise and global industry experience. His efforts to guide and support our team throughout the pandemic have been nothing short of phenomenal. We are well-positioned to take full advantage of our industry’s recovery, and now is the right time for a handoff we have planned and prepared for. I feel extremely fortunate to hand the reins to this clear and capable leader.”

Robert, who was named president in 2016, has 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 Robert. “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.”