Current:Home > StocksUnited CEO admits to taking private jet amid U.S. flight woes-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
United CEO admits to taking private jet amid U.S. flight woes
View Date:2024-12-23 18:32:57
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! (81158)
Related
- Indiana man is found guilty of murder in the 2017 killings of 2 teenage girls
- Man jailed while awaiting trial for fatal Apple store crash because monitoring bracelet not charged
- Chasing the American Dream at Outback Steakhouse
- 'People Collide' is a 'Freaky Friday'-type exploration of the self and persona
- College football top five gets overhaul as Georgia, Miami both tumble in US LBM Coaches Poll
- California governor signs law raising taxes on guns and ammunition to pay for school safety
- O'Reilly Auto Parts worker charged in strangulation death of suspected shoplifter
- Safe Haven Baby Box used in New Mexico for 1st time as newborn boy dropped off at a fire station
- Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul press conference highlights: 'Problem Child' goads 'Iron Mike'
- Jason Ritter Shares How Amazing Wife Melanie Lynskey Helped Him Through Sobriety Journey
Ranking
- Judith Jamison, acclaimed Alvin Ailey American dancer and director, dead at 81
- Cost of building a super-size Alabama prison rises to more than $1 billion
- A Dominican immigration agent is accused of raping a Haitian woman who was detained at an airport
- Spain charges Shakira with tax evasion in second case, demanding more than $7 million
- Supreme Court seems likely to allow class action to proceed against tech company Nvidia
- Jennifer Lawrence, Charlize Theron and More Stars Stun at Dior's Paris Fashion Week Show
- Did Taylor Swift put Travis Kelce 'on the map'? TikTok trend captures hilarious reactions
- Lionel Messi in limbo ahead of Inter Miami's big US Open Cup final. Latest injury update
Recommendation
-
Georgia House Republicans stick with leadership team for the next two years
-
Spain charges pop singer Shakira with tax evasion for a second time and demands more than $7 million
-
The Academy gifts replacement of Hattie McDaniel's historic Oscar to Howard University
-
BET co-founder Sheila Johnson talks about her 'Walk Through Fire' in new memoir
-
How to Build Your Target Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Budget-Friendly Must-Haves for Effortless Style
-
Public to weigh in on whether wild horses that roam Theodore Roosevelt National Park should stay
-
Morgan Wallen extends One Night At A Time Tour with new dates into 2024: 'Insanely fun'
-
A new battery recycling facility will deepen Kentucky’s ties to the electric vehicle sector