US black rights group warns travellers off American Airlines

The leading U. black civil rights group has urged black travellers not to fly with American Airlines after what it called a pattern of racially biased incidents reported by passengers. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) accused the airline of subjecting black passengers to "disrespectful, discriminatory or unsafe conditions" as part of a corporate culture of racial insensitivity. "Historically, the NAACP has issued travel advisories when conditions on the ground pose a substantial risk of harm to black Americans," the group said Tuesday. It said some recent incidents "may represent only the 'tip of the iceberg' when it comes to American Airlines' documented mistreatment of African-American customers." The advisory against American Airlines is the second such warning the group has issued this year. In August it advised African-Americans to exercise extreme caution in Missouri, based on data that showed black drivers were much more likely to be stopped and searched by police in the state than white drivers. American Airlines CE Doug Parker said he was disappointed by the NAACP's move and that the carrier had contacted the group to arrange a meeting. "The mission statement of the NAACP states that it 'seeks to remove all barriers of racial discrimination,'" Parker wrote in a letter to employees on Wednesday, which was seen by Reuters. "That's a mission that the people of American Airlines endorse and facilitate every day - we do not and will not tolerate discrimination at any time."<br/>