American Airlines CEO Doug Parker will retire effective March 31, 2022, and current president Robert Isom will succeed him, the company announced Tuesday. Isom also will join the airline's board of directors on that date, while Parker will continue to serve on the board.
Parker started his tenure as CEO in 2013 after American merged with US Airways, of which Parker was CEO. Isom had been EVP and COO of US Airways at the time of the merger and retained that position with American. He was promoted to president in 2016.
"Robert is a collaborative leader with deep operational expertise and global industry experience," Parker said in a statement. "His efforts to guide and support our team throughout the pandemic have been nothing short of phenomenal. … It has been the privilege of my life to serve for 20 years as an airline CEO."