CEO says removal of several black passengers from PHX flight was ‘unacceptable’

American Airlines has placed an unspecified number of employees on leave for their involvement in an incident in which several black passengers were allegedly kicked off a flight in Phoenix due to a complaint about body odor.

American CEO Robert Isom wrote in a note to employees that the incident was unacceptable.

“I am incredibly disappointed by what happened on this flight and the breakdown of our procedures,” Isom said in the statement this week. “It goes against our values. … We failed in our obligations and failed our customers in this incident.”

Three black passengers sued the airline last month, claiming they were barred from the January flight because of racial discrimination. They said they were told a white male flight attendant had complained about the body odor of an unidentified passenger.

The men said they did not know each other and were seated separately while waiting for the plane to depart for New York. The three said they were among the eight passengers – all black men on board, they said – who were asked to leave the plane.

The men said they demanded an explanation for their removal during an altercation with airline staff on the jetway. At least one of the men recorded the discussion and recorded an airline employee who appeared to agree that the men were being discriminated against, their lawsuit says.

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

American did not disclose how many employees were furloughed or describe their job titles. A spokesperson for the airline said, “We are holding those responsible accountable, including terminating team members.”

Isom said American will form an advisory group to focus on the experiences of black customers, encourage the reporting of allegations of discrimination and improve diversity training to “focus on real-world situations to help identify and address bias and discrimination.”

In his note, which CBS News previously reported, Isom said he had spoken to the president of the NAACP about the incident. The civil rights group did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

American has faced accusations of discrimination in the recent past. In 2017, the NAACP warned black travelers against flying on the airline, claiming several African-American passengers had been discriminated against by airline employees. American promised to make changes, and the NAACP lifted the warning nearly nine months later.