United Airlines CEO Apologizes For Taking Private Jet Amidst Massive Flight Cancellations

(RTTNews) - United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has issued an apology for taking a private plane to leave the New York area last week while thousands of United passengers remained stranded due to numerous flight cancellations. In a statement released by the airline, Kirby admitted that the decision to use a private jet was insensitive to customers who were waiting to get home and expressed sincere apologies to both customers and team members who have been tirelessly working through severe weather conditions.

Kirby's private flight took off from Teterboro, New Jersey, and headed to Denver on Wednesday, a day when United had canceled 750 flights, equivalent to a quarter of its daily schedule. Last week, the airline experienced nearly 3,000 cancellations, primarily affecting its Newark Liberty International Airport hub in New Jersey, which faced ongoing thunderstorms.

Kirby attributed the disruptions in Newark to a shortage of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controllers and criticized the FAA for reducing the rate at which planes could arrive and depart from the airport. The airline's cancellations left United planes and crews in inconvenient positions, further impacting its ability to cope with adverse weather conditions.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who oversees the FAA, expressed on Twitter that other airlines had recovered from the storms but highlighted United as an exception. He even shared a bar graph comparing United's cancellation rate with that of the rest of the industry, emphasizing the airline's struggles.

Although United's operation showed signs of improvement throughout the week, with the percentage of canceled flights decreasing from 26 percent on Wednesday to 18 percent on Thursday and 8 percent through Friday evening, the airline was still on track to lead all U.S. carriers in canceled flights for the seventh consecutive day on Friday.

United has committed to resolving its operational issues ahead of the busy July 4 holiday weekend, a period that is expected to witness high passenger volumes at airports nationwide. Reports of long lines at airports and passengers sleeping in terminals have circulated on social media and in conversations with reporters.

Unions representing United's pilots and flight attendants have also joined in the criticism, accusing the airline's management of inadequate planning, insufficient crew schedulers, and excessive flight operations.

Although United clarified that it did not cover the expenses for Kirby's private flight on Wednesday, it did not disclose whether he frequently utilizes private planes.