Doug Parker, the current CEO of American Airlines, has announced that he will retire from his position on March 31, 2022. Succeeding him will be Robert Isom, the current president of American Airlines. Mr. Parker has served as CEO of an airline in the United States for over 20 years and has served as American's CEO since the merger between American Airlines and US Airways in 2013.

American Airlines begins a leadership transition

Doug Parker has announced that he will retire from his position as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at American Airlines on March 31, 2022. Coinciding with the end of the first quarter of 2022, Robert Isom will assume the role of CEO after serving as President of American Airlines since 2016.

Mr. Parker expressed confidence in the choice of Mr. Isom as the next CEO, stating:

“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. 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.”

Mr. Isom added the following:

“I am humbled to serve as CEO of American Airlines. 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.”

In a message to employees, Mr. Parker outlined how this was the product of a multi-year transition process that dated back to 2016. At the time, Mr. Isom was elevated to the position of President, and Scott Kirby departed from the airline. Mr. Kirby is now the CEO of United Airlines.

Planning for a new CEO has been underway for some time. In January, it appeared that American was getting closer to Mr. Parker's retirement, though a timeline was not given. Now, Mr. Parker joins a list of other top airline CEOs who announced their retirement. This includes Brad Tilden at Alaska Airlines and Gary Kelly at Southwest Airlines.

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Doug Parker's biography

Doug Parker first entered the airline industry as an MBA recruit. However, by 1991, he became the Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis before becoming Assistant Treasurer at Northwest Airlines. He moved over to America West and, just ten days before 9/11, Mr. Parker became CEO of America West. One of his key achievements in the early days as CEO of America West was getting government-backed loans to keep the airline afloat.

In 2005, America West and US Airways merged. Together, the two airlines created a much wider route network and improved financials for the combined airlines. US Airways was the surviving brand. Doug Parker remained as CEO of the combined airline.

In 2013, US Airways and American Airlines merged. The combined airline was the largest globally and, before the crisis hit, made nearly $46 billion in revenue and transported roughly 215 million passengers per year. As CEO, he helped guide the airline through the tumultuous health crisis and was instrumental in securing support from the United States government to keep the airline flying.

Incoming CEO Robert Isom

Robert Isom has been President of American Airlines since 2016. He has spent over 30 years in the aviation industry, including spending the last eight as a part of American's executive leadership team.

Isom came to American Airlines from US Airways, where he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operational Officer of the airline post-merger with America West. One of his key successes included turning around the airline's operational performance post-merger. Isom has also worked at America West and Northwest Airlines, where he also held senior roles.

At American Airlines, Isom was a key player in the integration of US Airways and American Airlines. He has also worked to guide American through the crisis and the recovery. Some initiatives under his leadership have included fleet simplification and pushing for additional efficiencies.