Skift Take
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker is out come March. While not everyone agreed with his decisions, credit where credit’s due: He built and led the world’s largest airline, changing the industry in the process.
American Airlines on Tuesday made it official. CEO Doug Parker will retire from his role on March 31, and be succeeded by his longtime deputy, President Robert Isom.
The move will end Parker’s nearly 20-year run at the helm of a U.S. airline, including America West and US Airways, and bookended by crises: 9/11 and the Covid-19 pandemic. Parker, along with then-deputy Scott Kirby — now CEO of United Airlines — orchestrated the merger of American and US Airways in 2013 that created what remains the world’s largest airline to this day.
The news comes a little surprise to those in the industry, as the airline has been working on Parker’s succession plan for years.
“While we still have work to do, the recovery from the pandemic is…
#featured #travelnews