While United Was Canceling and Delaying Flights, Its CEO Took a Private Jet

During a week where air travel was riddled with delays and cancellations, especially at Newark airport, United Airlines’ CEO bypassed the turmoil and booked a private flight from Teterboro airport, news reports said.

United CEO Scott Kirby booked the private jet on June 28, CNBC reported, as the airline was just recovering from a week that saw travelers stranded at airports, sometimes for days, due to canceled flights and delays.

The last week of June was hit with thunderstorms and bad weather that forced ground stops and delays at airports from Baltimore north to Boston, resulting in hundreds of canceled flights and playing havoc with travelers’ plans right before the busy July Fourth holiday.

Instead of flying from United’s hub in Newark, Kirby chartered a private jet from Teterboro Airport to Denver, Colorado. United did not pay for Kirby’s flight, a United spokeswoman told CNBC.

Kirby apologized to staff and travelers on June 30 for using the private jet when other passengers were stranded and experiencing difficulties rebooking.

“Taking a private jet was the wrong decision because it was insensitive to our customers who were waiting to get home,” Kirby said in a statement made through a spokesperson. “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.”

During the past week, numerous travelers had complaints about United Airlines, saying some were stuck for days at Newark airport, unable to book another flight after theirs were canceled. Others complained of a scramble to customer service counters to rebook flights after they couldn’t do so on the airline’s app or by phone.

Others mentioned long lines when they finally arrived to claim baggage and a visible lack of employees to handle the extra work. A video showed a long line of passengers waiting for their bags snaking through the corridors of Terminal C last Thursday.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also singled out United for criticism, tweeting a bar graph that showed it had the highest percentage of canceled flights of any airline last week.

That tweet inspired a litany of complaints from frustrated flyers about the airline.

Kirby took the FAA to task last week, citing an air traffic controller shortage as a partial reason for flight delays and cancellations, which the FAA denied, but a USDOT inspector general’s report confirmed.

Travel experts interviewed by NJ Advance Media blamed airlines for the over scheduling flights without sufficient staff to handle increased passenger volumes. They also faulted the FAA for air traffic control understaffing, confirmed by a June 21 USDOT inspector general’s audit that said staffing was below 85% in New York and Miami.

“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,” Kirby said. “I promise to better demonstrate my respect for the dedication of our team members and the loyalty of our customers.”

As of 3:25 p.m., Monday, 161 fights had been canceled at Newark airport in 24 hours, said Flight Aware.

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Larry Higgs may be reached at [email protected].

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