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NAACP drops travel warning against American Airlines

The group had imposed a travel warning – rather than a boycott – for travelers considering flying on the airline in October 2017.
Credit: Scott Olson
Workers load luggage onto an American Airlines aricraft at O'Hare International Airport on May 11, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The NAACP and American Airlines announced Tuesday that the civil-rights group was lifting its travel advisory against carrier after months of efforts and "considerable action" to reduce implicit bias.

The group had imposed a travel warning – rather than a boycott – for travelers considering flying on the airline in October 2017. Incidents that raised concerns dealt with changes in seat assignments and how disputes between passengers were handled. Implicit bias is a subconscious or unintentional bias in judgment or behavior from ingrained stereotypes.

American CEO Doug Parker voiced disappointment at the time with the criticism, but vowed that the airline built on connecting people was excited about the opportunity to improve its inclusiveness and diversity.

On Tuesday, NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson announced an end to the travel warning in a pair of tweets, after American took “considerable action” to reduce implicit bias.

Steps that the airline took included an analysis of diversity at the carrier, training for the airline’s 130,000 workers to reduce implicit bias and the implementation of a new process to resolve discrimination complaints from both workers and travelers.

“We have worked with American Airlines for nearly a year, and they have taken substantive action to begin to address implicit bias," Johnson said. “They have embraced the situation and we are encouraged by their commitment to improve upon their internal processes and increase inclusion across their airline."

The NAACP plans to continue monitoring the airline and providing feedback.

Parker said Tuesday the airline's 130,000 workers "enthusiastically embraced our goal to lead all industry in diversity, inclusion and equality."

"This is work that will never be complete, but we are making great progress,” Parker said. “We thank the NAACP for recognizing our progress and look forward to working with them in the future as we continue on this mission.”

The NAACP, which hadn't called for a boycott, had issued a warning Oct. 24 to African Americans flying on American after “monitoring a pattern of disturbing incidents.”

The incidents included a man removed from a flight after a dispute with other passengers, a change in seat assignment that moved a woman from first class to coach and the removal of a woman who complained about her seat assignment being changed.

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