United CEO apologizes for flying private while customers were stranded

UNITED Airlines canceled 751 flights on Wednesday (Jun 28), more than any other airline, and its hub airport in Denver was among the hardest hit.  

So when it emerged that United’s chief executive Scott Kirby was able to bypass the congestion by taking a private jet to Denver from Teterboro Airport that day, the executive issued a swift apology. 

“Taking a private jet was the wrong decision because it was insensitive to our customers who were waiting to get home,” Kirby said in an emailed statement late Friday. “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.” 

Unfavorable weather caused more delays than usual at US airports in the past week, and possible storms are forecast for the midsection of the country ahead of the Jul 4 holiday. United had canceled 8 per cent of its flights as of Friday evening and delayed 41 per cent, data from FlightAware.com indicated. 

“We are ready for the busy holiday travel weekend,” United said in an earlier statement Friday. “Our reliability continues to improve, with far fewer cancellations today compared to previous days.” BLOOMBERG