Current:Home > StocksUnited CEO admits to taking private jet amid U.S. flight woes -AssetPath
United CEO admits to taking private jet amid U.S. flight woes
View
Date:2025-04-14 01:45:28
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby issued an apology Friday for chartering a private jet at the height of the nationwide weather-related travel disruptions earlier this week which saw thousands of flights delayed and canceled.
Kirby on Wednesday took a private jet from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to Denver, Colorado, a United spokesperson confirmed to CBS News.
According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, more than 7,400 U.S. flights were delayed on Wednesday, and another 1,200 U.S. flights were canceled.
Kirby, in a statement provided to CBS News Friday evening, said it "was the wrong decision" to charter the jet "because it was insensitive to our customers who were waiting to get home."
He went on to "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."
His apology comes just days after he criticized the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to cancel hundreds of flights this past weekend because of the severe weather.
In an email to employees Monday, Kirby said the FAA "failed" United by specifically ordering flight cancellations and delays at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey amid difficult weather conditions that it "has historically been able to manage."
The FAA, which oversees air traffic in the U.S., responded to Kirby's criticisms by telling CBS News in an email that it "will always collaborate with anyone seriously willing to join us to solve a problem."
Air travel was still strained going into the Fourth of July holiday weekend. As of Friday night, more than 400 U.S. flights had been canceled and 6,700 delayed, per FlightAware.
— Elizabeth Napolitano contributed to this report.
- In:
- New Jersey
- Flight Delays
- United Airlines
- Flight Cancellations
- Denver
veryGood! (5857)
Related
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Judge to fine a Massachusetts teachers union an extra $50,000 a day if 6-day strike continues
- China confirms the 2022 conviction of a British businessperson on espionage charges
- A British painting stolen by mobsters is returned to the owner’s son — 54 years later
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Johnson says House will hold Mayorkas impeachment vote as soon as possible
- Pregnant Jenna Dewan Showcases Baby Bump in Lace Dress During Date Night With Fiancé Steve Kazee
- Mikaela Shiffrin escapes serious injury after crash at venue for 2026 Olympics
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- In wintry Minnesota, there’s a belief that every snowplow deserves a name
Ranking
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Lenny Kravitz to Receive the Music Icon Award at 2024 People's Choice Awards
- South Korean police investigating 14-year-old boy as suspect of attack on lawmaker
- After 53 years, Baltimore is again a gateway to the Super Bowl as AFC championship game host
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- South Korean police investigating 14-year-old boy as suspect of attack on lawmaker
- Horoscopes Today, January 26, 2024
- Kim Kardashian’s Cult Favorite Lip Liners Are Finally Back, Plus Lipstick and Eyeshadows
Recommendation
A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
King Charles III Visits Kate Middleton as He Undergoes Procedure at Same Hospital
Pentagon watchdog says uncoordinated approach to UAPs, or UFOs, could endanger national security
A British painting stolen by mobsters is returned to the owner’s son — 54 years later
New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
Mikaela Shiffrin hospitalized after crash on 2026 Olympics course in Italy
Jannik Sinner knocks out 10-time champ Novak Djokovic in Australian Open semifinals
Teen Mom’s Kailyn Lowry Shares Her Twins Spent Weeks in NICU After Premature Birth