American Airlines CEO Hits Jackpot with Hundreds of Millions in RSUs as Executive Incentives Expand

American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) CEO Robert Isom and two other senior executives—the CFO and an SVP—were granted large restricted stock unit (RSU) packages vesting over several years on February 17 and 18. To cover taxes due at vesting, a portion of their shares was returned to the company as withholding. CEO Isom received approximately 781,000 additional RSUs, valued at about $11 million (roughly KRW 14 billion) at grant. CFO Devon May and SVP Angela Owens were each awarded RSUs worth several million dollars (tens of billions of won), further reinforcing the management team’s medium- to long-term performance-linked compensation. The company’s filing states that performance-conditioned RSUs may range from 0% to 200% of the award depending on future results, and that some previously granted performance RSUs were forfeited for failing to meet conditions.

Recently, the flight attendants’ union APFA and the pilots’ union formally expressed no confidence in CEO Isom, citing weak performance and strategy, and staged demonstrations in front of headquarters demanding a change in leadership. On February 19, with oil prices holding near six-month highs, airline stocks broadly weakened and AAL shares closed down about 5%, reflecting continued market skepticism over the company’s 2026 profit targets.

American Airlines is one of the largest U.S. carriers, reporting record 2025 revenue of $54.6 billion (around KRW 70 trillion), though net income remained relatively modest. With its 100th anniversary approaching in 2026, the airline is focusing investments on network expansion, premium services, and debt reduction to restore profitability and strengthen its growth foundation in the coming years.