United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby Apologizes For Flying Private After United Cancels 751 Flights

United Airlines Holdings Inc. canceled more flights than any other airline totaling 751 on Wednesday. The Denver International Airport was hit the hardest among all the airports. 

Scott Kirby, the Chief Executive Officer of United, was able to overcome this by flying with a private airplane from Teterboro Airport to Denver.

Kirby released a statement with his apologies. 

“Taking a private jet was the wrong decision because it was insensitive to our customers who were waiting to get home,” he wrote. “I sincerely apologize to our customers and our team members who have been working around-the-clock for several days – often through severe weather – to take care of our customers.” 

He continued, “Watching our team firsthand with our customers at four different airports and during countless meetings this week, it’s clear to me they represent the best of United, and I regret that I have distracted from their professionalism. I promise to better demonstrate my respect for the dedication of our team members and the loyalty of our customers.”

The delays were caused by poor weather conditions this past week, including the July 4 holiday weekend. 8% of flights had to be canceled by United by Friday afternoon and 41% were additionally delayed. 

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United Airlines released several statements on Twitter warning flyers about the weather conditions and possible delays. On Friday afternoon they announced that, “We expect delays and cancellations to continue to decrease as we head into the busy holiday stretch.”

Kirby initially criticized the FAA staffing for United’s issues and cancellations. The Department of Transportation stated that the cancellations were worse with United than with other airlines, which could be because it relies heavily on Newark Liberty International Airport.