Airlines Scrub DEI From Latest Annual Reports
Photo Credit: Airlines like Delta and United are changing the way they talk about diversity, equity and inclusion, following wide-ranging pushback from the Trump administration. Bill Abbott/Flickr Getty Images / surasak petchang
Skift Take
Airlines are toning down their messaging on DEI in their most recent annual reports following a slate of executive orders from President Donald Trump.
Trump’s Impact on Travel
Read how the first 100 days of U.S. President Donald Trump’s actions and policies are shaping the future of travel, and get insights into the industry's evolving response.Major U.S. airlines are starting to dial down statements on diversity, equity and inclusion hiring policies after wide-ranging pushback from the Trump administration.
In American Airlines’ 2024 10-K, the company didn’t include a section on DEI – it had DEI sections in each of the four prior years.
In its 2023 annual report, American said, “Cultivating an environment that celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a priority for us,” and listed out a range of initiatives the company had done to increase its diversity.
This year, American said, “We seek to hire the best and brightest,” and made no mention of diversity.
United Airlines had a similar shift. In its most recent annual report, there are no mentions of “diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Last year, in the same report, United provided statistics on the percentage of women and underrepresented minorities in its workforce. The company provided similar statistics in 2022, 2021, and 2020.
JetBlue also did not have any statements on DEI hiring policies in their most recent annual reports, but did include such statements in its 2023 10-Ks.
“The report reflects that we have always hired based on merit and qualifications, especially as safety is critical to our airline,” JetBlue said in a statement to Skift. “
