Robert Isom took over as American's CEO on March 31st, just ahead of what is set to be the airline's biggest recovery in history. Isom's key promise is a big one: creating a reliable airline ahead of the summer season as his competitors reduce their schedules and temper expectations.

All about smooth travel

In a town hall with pilots this week, American Airlines' new leader spoke about the airline's priorities for this summer, saying, "People really need to feel like they have control of their itineraries and we give them control by making sure they get to where they want to go on time. I just can’t be any more blunt about it than that. Other airlines are really struggling.”

Robert Isom's warning comes at a critical time for US airlines, which are facing a spring meltdown. JetBlue is reportedly considering cutting 10% of its summer flights due to shortages, while Alaska Airlines already has 2% of its spring schedule. Both airlines are American's partners, only adding more pressure to keep the airline flying smoothly.

American is ready

While the threat of COVID looms over a successful summer, Isom believes that America's schedule reflects the staffing levels that will be available. This is an ambitious prediction given how COVID variants left airlines crippled in January, amid an Omicron surge among crew, and American's tough Halloween weekend last year due to a lack of staff.

American is even working on getting ahead of potential weather-based delays, which can cause a knock-on effect for days. The carrier has invested heavily in its Integrated Operations Center (IOC) in Dallas-Ft. Worth to prepare for such days. This will include creating ground delay programs with Air Traffic Control when there is bad weather at a destination airport to prevent last-minute cancelations.

We will see the impact of this planning over the summer as airlines across over 90% of pre-pandemic traffic levels for the first time again. American has dodged the worst of the winter and spring shortage crises, hopefully predicting sunny weather ahead for the world's biggest airlines.

New CEO takes the job

Robert Isom took the reins from veteran Doug Parker on 31st March, marking the beginning of a new era for the airline. From day one, and over the years, Isom has held two goals for the airline: to build a reliable and profitable operation. This holds true in 2022, as American looks to rebuild from the ground up with very different market conditions to three years ago.

Meeting these targets will be easier said than done. American still faces long-term struggles with unions, customer perception, and much more. However, if there ever was a time to rebuild from scratch, it is today.