New York, Feb 12, 2026, 08:02 (EST) — Premarket
- American Airlines shares were up about 0.8% before the open after a near-5% drop in the prior session.
- Unions are pressing the board for action on leadership and operations, with a protest planned in Fort Worth.
- Traders are watching labor fallout, fuel costs and Friday’s U.S. inflation data.
American Airlines Group Inc shares (AAL.O) rose 0.8% to $14.47 in premarket trading, before the 9:30 a.m. open, after the stock slid 5% on Wednesday to $14.35. The stock was last at $14.42 in after-hours trading. (Public)
The early move matters because the airline is back in the crosshairs for a mix of issues investors hate to price: labor anger, questions about execution, and the chance that boardroom pressure bleeds into day-to-day operations.
American is trying to convince shareholders that a 2026 turnaround is real. A public fight with its own frontline groups risks turning that story into a referendum on governance, not just demand and fares.
U.S. airlines took a hit in the prior session, with American falling the most among major carriers. Delta Air Lines fell 4.1%, United Airlines dropped 2.1% and Southwest Airlines slid 4.9%, while the S&P 500 ended roughly flat. (MarketWatch)
Pressure on American’s leadership sharpened this week, with the pilots’ union urging directors to act and the flight attendants’ union issuing a no-confidence vote in CEO Robert Isom, Reuters reported. APFA President Julie Hedrick told Reuters: “We don’t want to be left with a company that isn’t competitive.” Isom, in public remarks cited by Reuters, said: “2026 can’t just feel different. It has to be different.” Reuters also cited a wide profit gap versus Delta and United on an adjusted pretax basis — a profit measure that strips out certain items — and reported that American is targeting debt below $35 billion in 2026. (Reuters)
Separately, American posted a travel alert tied to an airspace closure in El Paso, Texas, waiving change fees for some customers booked to travel on Feb. 11 and allowing rebooking through Feb. 12. (American Airlines)
Fuel is another near-term sensitivity. Oil prices rose about 1% on Wednesday, with Brent settling at $69.40 a barrel and U.S. crude at $64.63, adding to cost pressure for airlines that buy large volumes of jet fuel. (Reuters)
But premarket gains can vanish fast. If labor unrest escalates or operational hiccups pile up, investors may focus less on management’s turnaround plan and more on the risk of higher costs and weaker reliability.
Next up: traders will watch for any response to union demands and the planned Fort Worth protest later Thursday, then shift to Friday’s U.S. Consumer Price Index release at 8:30 a.m. Eastern — a data point that can move rates and broad risk appetite in the session ahead. (Bls)
