United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has issued a formal apology for chartering a private jet during a period of severe travel disruptions caused by adverse weather conditions. Kirby acknowledged that his decision to take a private jet from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to Denver, Colorado, was insensitive to the customers who were waiting to get home. He expressed regret for distracting from the professionalism of the United Airlines team members who have been working tirelessly to take care of customers during the challenging weather conditions.
“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,” Kirby stated in an email to The Epoch Times. He promised to better demonstrate his respect for the dedication of the team members and the loyalty of the customers going forward.
This apology from Kirby comes after his recent criticism of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for their handling of flight cancellations and delays due to severe weather. Thunderstorms and equipment failures at an FAA facility led to significant disruptions, temporarily stopping incoming flights in Washington and New York.
In a memo to United Airlines employees, Kirby attributed the challenges faced by the airline to a shortage of FAA air traffic controllers, describing the situation as “unprecedented.” He estimated that over 150,000 United Airlines customers were impacted over the weekend due to FAA staffing issues and their ability to manage air traffic.
Kirby specifically mentioned understaffing and lower experience levels at the FAA as contributing factors to the extensive delays and cancellations. He emphasized the urgency to resolve this problem, intending to meet with the FAA and Department of Transportation to discuss immediate measures to prevent a recurrence during the summer season.
While acknowledging that the current FAA leadership inherited the staffing issue, Kirby emphasized their responsibility to solve the problem. In response, the FAA affirmed its commitment to collaborate with anyone willing to help solve the problem.
Over the weekend, powerful storms swept across various parts of the country, including the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, where major air hubs are located. This led to a significant number of flight delays and cancellations. On Monday, over 32,000 flights were delayed, followed by over 28,000 delays and 2,800 cancellations on Tuesday.
The FAA has acknowledged its understaffing concerns, particularly in the New York City region. Although the agency is training approximately 3,000 new air traffic controllers, the process will not yield immediate results. In the meantime, the FAA has advised airlines to reduce flights in the New York City area and has opened 169 new flight paths along the East Coast to alleviate congestion.
A recent report from the Transportation Department’s inspector general highlighted the limited efforts of the FAA to adequately staff vital air traffic control centers, suggesting a lack of a comprehensive plan to address the problem.
Additionally, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has warned airlines that aircraft without new radio altimeters, which measure the plane’s height above the ground, will not be permitted to operate in limited visibility conditions due to potential interference from 5G wireless service. While major carriers have retrofitted their planes accordingly, Delta Air Lines still has around 190 aircraft awaiting updates due to supply constraints. Delta has assured that it will strategically schedule these planes to avoid adverse weather conditions and minimize disruptions.
It is important to note that smaller regional airlines and international carriers operating flights to the United States may also be affected by this requirement.
In conclusion, Scott Kirby, the CEO of United Airlines, has apologized for his insensitive decision to charter a private jet during a period of travel disruptions. He expressed regret and acknowledged the dedication of the United Airlines team members and the loyalty of the customers. Kirby’s criticism of the FAA’s handling of flight cancellations and delays due to severe weather prompted a response from the agency, which affirmed its commitment to collaboration. The recent storms have caused significant disruptions, and the FAA acknowledges its understaffing concerns and has taken steps to alleviate congestion. The Transportation Department’s inspector general report highlighted the limited efforts to address staffing issues at air traffic control centers. Furthermore, the requirement for aircraft to have updated radio altimeters may impact certain airlines, including Delta Air Lines. Overall, these developments highlight the challenges faced by the aviation industry during adverse weather conditions.
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