United Airlines CEO Apologizes for Flying Private as Airline Cancels Thousands of Flights

United CEO Scott Kirby issued an apology for taking a private jet last week, amid cancellations by the airline

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is apologizing for taking a private jet across the country after nearly 3,000 flights were canceled by the airline in the past week.

On Wednesday, Kirby — who has been CEO of United Airlines since 2020 — flew from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to Denver, Colorado, in what he has since described as “the wrong decision,” in a statement shared with PEOPLE.

The trip —which was not paid for by United — was confirmed by the airline to CNN. Kirby traveled on the same day that 750 United flights were canceled at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey — the airline's largest transport hub.

“Taking a private jet was the wrong decision because it was insensitive to our customers who were waiting to get home,” Kirby said in the statement. “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.”

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The statement continued: "Watching our team firsthand with our customers at four different airports and during countless meetings this week, it’s clear to me they represent the best of United, and I regret that I have distracted from their professionalism."

The CEO then shared his promise “to better demonstrate my respect for the dedication of our team members and the loyalty of our customers” moving forward.

On Saturday, the Associated Press reported that United Airlines had canceled over 3,000 flights in the past week. FlightAware data from Friday showed that on that day alone there had been 1,327 United flights delayed and 259 canceled by the airline.

Kirby described the past week as “the most operationally challenging” of his career and for United Airlines in an open letter published on LinkedIn on Saturday. He said the airline dealt with an “extended limited operating environment”, particularly at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), where he noted the “truly unprecedented severe weather” was focused, leading to cancellations.

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“We dealt with severe restrictions on flight operations starting Saturday and lasting through Tuesday,” Kirby wrote. “That means the total number of aircraft that could depart EWR was reduced between 60-75% for an average of 6 to 8 hours each day.”

The CEO shared his concerns that airlines “aren’t designed” to have its largest hub be severely impacted.  “My general takeaway is while we work to control the things that are within our control, we also must do an even better job of planning against the things that are outside our control so that we can be in a position to recover more quickly,” Kirby said.

He finished by thanking the United Airlines staff for their professionalism in an “awfully difficult week of unprecedented circumstances.”

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Kirby had previously said that the Federal Aviation Administration “failed us” as he blamed the agency for inadequate air traffic control during an interview with CNN on Wednesday. United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg — who oversees the FAA — told CNN in response, “United Airlines has some internal issues they need to work through.

“I want to be very clear, air traffic control issues are not the number one issue causing cancellations and delays. They’re not even the number two issue.”

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