United Airlines CEO speaks out after spate of incidents raises safety concerns
In a letter to customers this week, Mr. Kirby acknowledged at least six unrelated issues that have occurred on United flights since late February, with five involving Boeing planes.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has addressed concerns regarding the airline's safety protocols amidst a series of recent incidents involving its aircraft.
In a letter to customers this week, Kirby acknowledged at least six unrelated issues that have occurred on United flights since late February, five of which involved Boeing planes, Fox Business reported.
"Safety is our highest priority and is at the center of everything we do," Kirby wrote, adding that the incidents "have our attention and have sharpened our focus" on maintaining rigorous safety standards.
JUST IN: In a new letter to United customers, CEO Scott Kirby says March incidents "have our attention and have sharpened our focus."
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) March 18, 2024
Now the airline is adding an extra day of pilot training and retooling training for new mechanics. pic.twitter.com/WbvpgT9eIW
The incidents included a hydraulic leak that prompted a Boeing 777 to return shortly after departing Sydney last week and an Airbus A320 making an emergency landing in Los Angeles en route to Mexico City due to a reported hydraulics problem.
Additionally, a Boeing 737 veered onto the grass after landing in Houston, a Boeing 777-200 lost a tire upon takeoff from San Francisco, and an engine issue led to an emergency landing of a Houston-to-Fort Myers flight, with footage showing flames from one of the plane's engines.
In February, a Boeing 757 diverted its course to address a problem with the slat on its wing, with a passenger reporting parts of the wing appeared to be "coming apart."
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has acknowledged the recent series of aircraft incidents in a letter to customers.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) March 18, 2024
Kirby also expressed confidence that the airline would learn the "right lessons" and "continue to run an operation that puts safety first."
Letter : Pete Muntean pic.twitter.com/OjCgVsnrqW
Kirby said United is reviewing each incident to identify any potential safety lapses and use the findings to "inform our safety training and procedures across all employee groups."
The airline plans to provide pilots with an additional day of in-person training starting in May and has established a centralized curriculum for new maintenance technicians.
"We're also dedicating more resources to supplier network management," the CEO stated, emphasizing that the company is empowering staff to "speak up" if they notice any issues.
Boeing’s woes largely ‘self-inflicted,’ but some blame lies with airlines: ex-pilot https://t.co/osULgqcTdi pic.twitter.com/4vaSSgtR5s
— New York Post (@nypost) March 18, 2024
Despite the recent concerns, Kirby sought to reassure passengers that "every time a United plane pulls away from the gate, everyone on our team is working together to keep you safe on your trip."
In January, the United CEO drew criticism after video of him repeatedly dressing in drag resurfaced, as Breitbart reported.
This is Scott Kirby, the CEO of @united. He likes to dress up in drag. United hired a drag queen to be their CEO and now United has turned their focus to incorporating drag into their business and sponsoring drag shows. https://t.co/Hhzd5o6SyN pic.twitter.com/9tqkjTfVvs
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 15, 2024
The images, apparently from Kirby's time as head of American Airlines, raised concerns about his obsessive commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion policies — potentially at the expense of safety.
Kirby was also a COVID-19 public health zealot, with Breitbart noting he oversaw some of the most draconian enforcement measures among major American companies.
Don't Get Censored
Big Tech is censoring us. Sign up so we can always stay in touch.