United acting CEO pushes service as profit optimism grows

Atlanta

UNITED Continental Holdings Inc's acting chief executive officer promised to keep building on the momentum of the airline's permanent CEO, who's out on medical leave, and got a boost from an encouraging profit outlook.

Customer-service improvements will be announced soon, interim CEO Brett Hart said on Thursday on a conference call just three days after his appointment to fill in for Oscar Munoz. He also said United remains focused on improving morale for front-line employees, a persistent challenge since the carrier's creation in a 2010 merger.