United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby speaks during a press event showcasing the new interior of the airline’s premium “elevated” aircraft at Los Angeles International Airport, March 24, 2026.Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty ImagesNEWARK, New Jersey — Scott Kirby says he doesn’t believe in revenge. “Everyone thinks so, but no, I don’t think so,” said the United Airlines CEO, who was fired by American Airlines 10 years ago when he was president of that airline. “I compete aggressively.” United announced it had hired him as president on August 29, 2016, a blink after American revealed his departure. Now, Kirby runs the second most profitable U.S. airline after Delta Air Lines. And its former employer, American, is a distant third of the century-old major U.S. airlines, though it is working to boost revenue through a series of improvements, including adding rear seatback screens. Kirby floated the idea of megamergers with both Delta and American last year, combinations that would unite some of the world’s largest airlines. So far it has been rejected, and antitrust experts were skeptical about the possibility. It’s thinking bigger than before, as the industry faces rising costs, limited airport infrastructure and a population willing to shell out more to fly, often in expensive seats, to the next “it” destination. Betancur| AFP | Getty ImagesCNBC traveled with Kirby from the west side of Midtown Manhattan to United’s hub at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey earlier this month, where the 59-year-old executive outlined his vision for the airline before his flight. Kirby said he wants to expand United’s presence at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport after his airline returns to the congested airport through a partnership with former American partner JetBlue Airways next year. fire to try to find ways to do it,” he said, adding that United could at some point acquire slots from airlines that don’t fly profitable routes out of the airport. And while United already holds the crown among U.S. airlines for international flights, which are in high demand among American tourists, it wants to further expand the airline’s presence abroad. This week, United is set to announce a series of new international routes, the airline’s annual launch that previously included new spots on the map such as Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and Bilbao, Spain United has been touting its international expansion for years, saying its vast network acts as a driver of customer loyalty and enrollment in lucrative travel rewards credit cards. Its route announcements often come with much fanfare. Read more about United, Delta and American Kirby, an airline executive for three decades, is the most outspoken airline CEO in the United States. Instagram-friendly routes. “They don’t tell me in advance anymore because they’re afraid I’ll tell them the information, which is fair,” he said. While Delta still has a profit advantage, CEO Ed Bastian doesn’t want to cede ground to United. It’s starting to expand flights over the Pacific, a U.S. stronghold. “People say, ‘Well, when is it someone else’s turn?’ Well, I’m never going to let that be someone else’s turn. It’s always our turn,” Bastian told Columbia Business School students in April 2024. “We always have the opportunity to prove it every day. …Yesterday doesn’t really matter. You can only think about today and tomorrow.” 1-minute break United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby speaks during a joint press event with Boeing at Boeing’s manufacturing facility in North Charleston, South Carolina, on Dec. 13, 2022. Logan Cyrus | AFP | Getty Images It’s been a decade since Kirby started at United. He joined the airline in August 2016 after American fired him when he was president and didn’t have a path forward. eventually become CEO. United walked out of a securities filing just after American revealed Kirby’s departure, saying he would take over as president at the Chicago airline. That day, American promoted then-chief operating officer Robert Isom to president, Kirby’s old role being named American’s next CEO in late 2021. “I joke that most people take a few weeks, a couple of months between jobs. It took me 60 seconds,” Kirby said. United promoted Kirby to CEO from president in May 2020, as the industry recovered from Covid, its worst crisis in its history. Top executives at United and American have roots in America West and other airlines, before a wave of mergers over the past two decades left four airlines with more than three-quarters of U.S. flight capacity. “One of the things I also learned at American: There are so many changes you can make. being No. 2,” he said. “You can push too hard and you get fired.” United was in the midst of upgrading its cabins when Kirby joined in 2016, including with its higher-end Polaris capsule seats for long-haul business class. But he said his first task was to run money-losing routes with a scoreboard to figure out what worked and what didn’t. The company considered closing its bases at Los Angeles International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Kirby said he stopped that idea and both remained open. Airports are critical for United. LAX is one of the airline’s most important hubs, although no airline controls that airport like others do. And Kirby made a day trip from his son’s soccer camp in Brazil last month to fly to meet with President Donald Trump and pitch a $22.5 billion Dulles overhaul in the Oval Office AI, Mergers and the Future of Travel Stock analysts and legal experts were highly skeptical about a merger. between United and one of the other American giants. People familiar with the matter said Kirby approached Delta but was rebuffed, as The Wall Street Journal first reported last month. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks. Delta declined to comment. The airline’s president, Peter Carter, told CNBC at an industry conference in June that he doesn’t see a merger or acquisition in Delta’s future. We spend time analyzing things that have a chance of happening. We don’t spend a lot of time chasing impossibilities,” Isom told CNBC in an interview in late June. Kirby told CNBC that he hasn’t changed his stance and isn’t interested in acquiring a smaller airline, like JetBlue. “That’s still the case,” he said. “Everything I’m saying would require a willing partner,” Kirby said. When asked about antitrust concerns and possible pushback from state attorneys general, he said, “All of the objections are based…on the premise that the airline industry It’s a commodity.” And Kirby said the industry has evolved since then and that Delta and United have differentiated themselves, with their routes, onboard cabins and other products. Read more airline news CNBC He said he wants United to grow in South America and the Southeastern U.S., but there is a lack of places to build new hubs that make sense. “Those are two places that have holes for United that are difficult to fix independently,” Kirby said. The best place to provide services in South America is Miami International Airport, he added. American had a more than 60% share of passenger boardings in fiscal 2025, according to airport data. Mergers aside, Kirby said AI tools for both employees and customers will make travel easier and improve reliability, a tall order for any airline that’s susceptible to weather, restricted airports and a host of other daily surprises from mechanical issues. You want delays to be expressed in clear English to customers. “I firmly believe that there are no excuses, that’s why we don’t make excuses,” he said. Still, in the first half of the year, United ranked behind Delta and Alaska Airlines, which recently merged with Hawaiian Airlines, in on-time arrivals, according to the Department of Transportation. Kirby said external factors or direct crises will always challenge the industry and said he is focused on the airline’s long-term future. “Our employees often ask me things like, ‘What keeps you up at night?’ and I tell them, ‘nothing,'” he said. “My job is to prepare the company so that none of you have to spend a sleepless night worrying about your jobs.” He said his goal is to never have another license with the airline. When asked if he would eventually retire, Kirby said, “I hope I know when to retire and do it gracefully, with a great transition with great people.” Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.
