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United CEO Says Airline is Committed to ‘Hiring Based on Merit’

Scott Kirby says FAA efficiency is paramount to customers amid federal DEI shakeups.

United Dreamliner

A United 787-9 Dreamliner (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

United CEO Scott Kirby said the carrier will “continue to hire based on merit” during a Q&A with reporters at the end of last week’s fourth-quarter earnings call.

The statement came after a reporter asked Kirby if United was considering following the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration in rescinding its own DEI policies.

On Jan. 21, President Trump issued an executive order requiring the FAA to immediately halt all DEI initiatives, stating that those initiatives were discriminatory. The president also ordered all federal employees in DEI-related roles to go on leave, according to NBC News.

While executives at Delta have said the carrier will remain “steadfast” in its DEI initiatives, other companies have elected to dissolve their DEI policies altogether.

While Kirby didn’t say he would dissolve United’s DEI policies, he did affirm a commitment to merit-based hiring.

A ‘High-Quality Employer’

“[W]e are in the fortunate position that we’re a very high-quality employer, and we make efforts to cast a wide net for people coming into United,” he said during the call. “In fact, last year, we had over 600,000 applications for fewer than 10,000 positions. And because of that, we can be incredibly selective about who we pick. And [while] we do hire on merit, we can hire the absolute best of the best and have a naturally diverse workforce.”

Commenting on the shakeups at the FAA and DOT, Kirby said that the most important thing for airline customers is that the FAA is running “effectively and efficiently.” He cited that 68% of United’s blue sky day delays were because of air traffic control restrictions.

“That impacted millions of customers,” Kirby said. “… [W]hen I talk to the President, he knows a lot about airplanes. He knows a lot about the airspace. He is focused even at his level on fixing it. Incoming Secretary [Sean] Duffy, I spoke to this weekend, [is] also focused on fixing it. And I think that they will do the basic blocking and tackling, get the FAA the right resources [and] the right technology to run effectively.”

“That is bigger than everything else combined,” he added. “And I think we are going to be off to the races on that.”

The airline’s flight school, the United Aviate Academy, has created opportunities for women and people of color to pursue careers as commercial airline pilots. According to the flight school’s website, JPMorgan Chase and United partnered to offer $2.4 million in financial aid to people who previously didn’t have the opportunity to pursue careers in aviation.

United CEO Scott Kirby at the Phoenix, Ariz. Aviate Academy (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Ryan Ewing)

“We’re in the business of breaking down barriers and we want the pilot population — some of the highest paying jobs in the industry — to be open to a much more diverse pool of candidates,” the website stated.

In a November 2022 news release, United Aviate Academy stated it aims to train over 5,000 pilots in the next decade – with more than half of them being women or people of color.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff
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  • Caleb Revill is a journalist, writer and lifelong learner working as a Junior Writer for Firecrown. When he isn't tackling breaking news, Caleb is on the lookout for fascinating feature stories. Every person has a story to tell, and Caleb wants to help share them! He can be contacted by email anytime at [email protected].

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