https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/05/business/united-airlines-ceo-change/index.html

 

Scott Kirby loves regionals. He’s responsible for the massive AA regional feed via Useless Airways merger.

 

Lol...wut?

 

This has been somewhat known for over a year. Kirby was brought on in an unprecedented fashion (able to be poached before AMR could slap a non compete on his wrist) with the expectation that he would step up to the CEO plate when Oscar retired (and with a transplanted heart, that would be within 2 years). It has been two years and as expected, the transfer of responsibility has been codified.

 

He was never going to be the heir apparent under Doug. He made the move to ascend. It was all part of his (not public) deal and with Oscar’s sudden health scare so short into his tenure they needed a backup, just in case. I’ll bet he had some sort of free agent parachute and UAL just franchised him.

 

Is that funny? I’m not going to post Scott Kirby’s resume on here. He loves regional jets and is responsible for the Mesa 86 seat RJ carve out at America West/Usairways. He’s also responsible for the CRJ550 to circumnavigate scope.

He’s been Doug Parker’s right hand man since America West.

“This is how we will grow the mainline,” Kirby said. But “we have [fewer] 76-seat aircraft than American Airlines. If we’re trying to fly a 50-seat product to Rochester, and competitors are flying 76 seaters into Minneapolis or Chicago, we will lose that battle.”

Kirby said adding 76-seaters is a “win-win” because feeding the mainline creates better opportunities for mainline pilots, but he noted, “I get why our pilots are really nervous about this – if I were a pilot, I’d be really nervous about it.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2018/03/14/united-contract-talks-hit-early-snag-as-airline-seeks-more-regional-jets-and-pilots-say-no-way/

He loves regional jets. I worked under his umbrella in my regional jet days. Hopefully that clears up your LOL WUT?

 

Kirby was also responsible for whipsawing the Eagle carriers and forcing concessions on them to get new RJs.

 

Mr. Anderson was pretty darn good at doing that as well.... I’m just saying.

 

Turns out they all went to the same business/law schools and learned the same facts about capitalism......profit is driven by providing a product your customer wants for the lowest possible price.

As a commercial pilot, those forces are often aligned to pay me less and/or replace me with a cheaper option. That is why we need to "make hay while the sun is shining" because there will be a downturn....it's just a matter of when and to what extent.

 

Anderson however became the only airline CEO to feel that a major airline could profitably operate a 100 seat aircraft. No one else believed it or even believes it today. Many of the posters here would not have a job at Delta were it not for Anderson.