The NAACP is warning passengers who are black that if they fly on American Airlines, they could be subject to discrimination or even unsafe conditions.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a well-known social justice advocacy organization, issued the advisory late Tuesday.
“The NAACP for several months now has been monitoring a pattern of disturbing incidents reported by African-American passengers, specific to American Airlines,” the statement read.
“In light of these confrontations, we have today taken the action of issuing national advisory alerting travelers — especially African Americans — to exercise caution, in that booking and boarding flights on American Airlines could subject them disrespectful, discriminatory or unsafe conditions.”
The travel advisory is in effect beginning Wednesday until further notice, the organization said.
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On Wednesday, American Airlines said it’s disappointed by the announcement and will invite the civil rights group to meet and talk about the airline.
“We do not and will not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” the airline stated in a media release.
The NAACP described four examples in particular that led to the travel advisory.
According to the group, one incident involved an African-American man who had to give up his flight ticket because he “responded to disrespectful and discriminatory comments” made by two “unruly white passengers.”
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The NAACP said the recent incidents involving African Americans suggest that American Airlines has a corporate culture of racial insensitivity and possible bias.
“All travelers must be guaranteed the right to travel without fear of threat, violence or harm,” Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP said in the statement.
— With files from the Associated Press
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