American Airlines shakes up leadership amid profit push

American Airlines, the dominant carrier at DFW International Airport, is overhauling its leadership ranks as the carrier faces increasing pressure to close the profit gap with competitors United and Delta airlines. 

Chief communications officer Ron DeFeo is stepping down from his role, according to an Aug. 10 letter sent by CEO Robert Isom to his officers, which was reviewed by The Dallas Morning News. In addition, Nate Gatten, the airline’s executive vice president of American Eagle, corporate real estate and government affairs, is leaving the company for another opportunity. 

Also Kevin Brickner, the airline’s senior vice president of technical operations, is retiring after a 30-year career, the letter said. The latest leadership change comes less than two months since Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer Steve Johnson announced he was retiring at the end of this year.

To fill the leadership gaps, Isom announced several changes:

Garboden, Gulbranson, Clayton and Neuman are also set to join the leadership team to “broaden the perspectives contributing to our most important discussions,” Isom said in the letter.

The shake-up comes at a time when American is arguably at its biggest inflection point since its bankruptcy filing in the 2010s. American’s net income in the second quarter of 2026, $71 million, significantly lagged behind United and Delta, which posted net incomes of $805 million and $1.6 billion, respectively.

Isom acknowledged the airline is still not performing up to standard. 

“I recognize that there is a meaningful gap between where we are today and where we know American can — and should — be,” he wrote. “To close that gap, we must improve performance where it matters most: delivering a better experience for customers, running a more reliable operation, strengthening engagement with our team members and generating stronger business results.”

The airline is banking on investments in its U.S. hubs, premium offerings, its international gateway to Latin America from Miami and more to help power a comeback.