American Airlines names Nathaniel Pieper chief commercial officer

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American Airlines names Nathaniel Pieper chief commercial officer

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Robert D. Isom, CEO and President | American Airlines

By Sky Industry News

Oct 25, 2025

American Airlines has announced the appointment of Nathaniel Pieper as its new Chief Commercial Officer, effective November 3. Pieper, who previously served as CEO of the oneworld alliance for about 18 months, will report directly to American Airlines CEO Robert Isom.

Pieper brings over 25 years of experience in the aviation industry. His career began at Northwest Airlines in 1997, where he held several leadership roles including Managing Director of Financial Planning & Analysis and Vice President of Alliances. After Northwest was absorbed by Delta Air Lines, Pieper moved to Delta and took on various positions such as Vice President of Fleet Strategy & Transactions and Senior Vice President for Europe, the Middle East & Africa. He also served on the Board of Directors at Virgin Atlantic during his time at Delta.

Following his tenure at Delta, Pieper spent time consulting before joining Alaska Airlines in August 2019 as Treasurer and Senior Vice President of Fleet, Finance & Alliances. In March 2024, he became CEO of oneworld.

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American Airlines had been without a permanent Chief Commercial Officer since June 2024 after Vasu Raja’s departure. Steve Johnson had filled the role on an interim basis and will now return to his position as Vice Chair & Chief Strategy Officer.

Robert Isom expressed confidence in Pieper’s ability to lead: "Nat is a world-class, results-oriented leader who has achieved tremendous success throughout his entire career. He is well-versed in the airline business, having led teams across multiple disciplines at Northwest, Delta, and Alaska."

As Chief Commercial Officer, Pieper will oversee strategy, planning and performance across alliances and partnerships; cargo; co-branded credit card program; loyalty; network planning; revenue management; sales and distribution. He will also work with David Seymour, Chief Operating Officer at American Airlines, to jointly lead the Customer Experience team.

Isom commented further: "Pieper is incredibly well-suited to lead our Commercial team moving forward."