American Airlines could face a travel warning from the NAACP for discrimination

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People issued a warning to American Airlines this week. The criticism stems from an incident in which black passengers were escorted off a plane because they claimed in a recent lawsuit that unfounded complaints about “body odor”.

“Recent discriminatory actions by company employees demonstrate the urgent need to continue to hold this clear pattern of behavior accountable and resolve it,” the NAACP said in a statement Tuesday. American Airlines has said it does not discriminate and takes such allegations seriously.

In 2017, the NAACP a travel warning issued warned black people not to fly with American. Among other things, the warning was linked to an incident in which a black woman had her ticket changed from first class to economy class, while the airline did not do this for her white companion. The warning was repealed in 2018In its latest warning, the NAACP pointed out that a panel set up by the airline to monitor discrimination was disbanded last year.

“We encourage American Airlines to revive the advisory board and meet again with the NAACP to find a path forward that ensures equitable experiences for all American Airlines customers,” the organization said in a opinion“Without a swift and decisive response, the NAACP will be forced to re-issue the alert against the airline.”