American Airlines has agreed to end its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring practices following pressure from a conservative watchdog group, America First Legal (AFL). The move aligns the airline with a growing list of major corporations abandoning DEI policies after allegations of discriminatory employment practices.
AFL announced on Tuesday that American Airlines acknowledged that race and sex-based hiring practices violate federal laws. This agreement follows a federal civil rights complaint AFL filed in January, accusing the airline of breaching federal contracting requirements. According to AFL, despite receiving over $140 million in federal contracts since 2008, American Airlines implemented hiring programs that allegedly discriminated based on race and sex.
The complaint focused on American Airlines’ hiring processes, specifically its Cadet Academy recruitment and promotional procedures. Executive Order 11246 prohibits discrimination in employment by federal contractors based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. AFL argued that American Airlines violated these principles by prioritizing DEI goals over merit-based hiring.
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) addressed these allegations by calling an informal compliance conference with the airline. Following this meeting, American Airlines agreed to cease its DEI-based hiring practices. AFL’s counsel, Will Scolinos, applauded the decision, stating, “American companies must return to using merit—not the desire to check a DEI box—to select the most skilled and qualified employees.”
American Airlines did not respond to requests for comment.
This decision places American Airlines alongside United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, both of which faced similar scrutiny from AFL. In January, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby faced backlash after reaffirming a commitment to ensure 50% of the airline’s pilot graduates were women or people of color. Critics argued this policy compromised passenger safety by prioritizing DEI over qualifications. Following AFL complaints, both United and Southwest Airlines reportedly agreed to abandon race and sex-based hiring quotas.
Southwest, however, denied reports of a DEI policy reversal, stating it will continue to “recruit, hire, and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce in accordance with all applicable laws.” The airline clarified that the OFCCP made no determination of violations during a compliance conference.
The controversy extends beyond the airlines to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Earlier this year, the FAA faced criticism for recruiting candidates with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities under a DEI initiative. The debate intensified after a Boeing 737 MAX 9 incident on January 5, in which a plug door blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight. Public figures and social media users questioned whether DEI policies compromised safety in aviation.
American Airlines and the FAA are not the only companies who have felt the pressure to reverse their commitment to DEI practices. In November, Walmart also walked back their DEI policies and joined the growing list of companies that have done the same including Tractor Supply, John Deere, Harley Davidson, Polaris, Indian Motorcycle, Lowe’s, Ford, Coors, Stanley Black & Decker, Jack Daniels, DeWalt tools, Craftsman, Caterpillar, Boeing, and Toyota.
