American Airlines grounds and removes from service pilots who celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Multiple independent sources confirm that American Airlines grounded pilots for social media posts celebrating the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025. The airline publicly stated that hate-related or hostile behavior is unacceptable and initiated disciplinary actions. This grounding is part of a broader response that also involved Delta Air Lines suspending pilots for similar conduct.

The Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy condemned the celebrations, highlighting the seriousness with which such workplace conduct is treated. While some reports focus on the grounding rather than outright firing, the removal from service is consistent with safety and conduct policies in aviation. There is no contradictory evidence disputing that American Airlines took these actions, and multiple reputable news outlets report on this development.