United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has acknowledged airlines’ recent service issues and stated that more support is needed to avoid similar problems in the future.
In an interview with CNN, Kirby said it’s impossible to “run an airline like it’s 2019, and the reason is the system is just stressed to the max.” Kirby said stress “is visible everywhere, whether it’s security or FAA personnel or systems.”
“There are tensions in the system across the board,” Kirby told CNN’s Christine Romans. “Aircraft manufacturers delivering, having enough pilots and all those stresses and strains means the system is tighter.” In addition, external factors, such as severe winter weather, have led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights – an issue that has had a major impact on Southwest Airlines.
To combat these issues, Kirby said his company increased the number of backup planes and personnel for each block hour by 10% compared to pre-pandemic levels. He indicated that United also has “25% more reserve aircraft, and really across the board we just have more buffer and more resources that give us the ability to firewall if something happens.”
United Airlines has also taken additional measures to address staffing issues such as pilot shortages by establishing Aviate, the first pilot training academy launched by an airline in the United States.
However, rates are still higher than before the pandemic. Kirby indicated that he believes consumers can still find bargains, telling CNN that travelers “can still often pay less for … plane tickets than the Uber to take you to the airport.”
