J. Kirby on airline profitability
From United Airlines CEO Discusses Industry Challenges · · Bloomberg Podcasts
“United and Delta and Southwest, by the way, are all three gonna be solidly profitable this year. My guess is at all 90 to a 110, like, everyone else is losing money, some a lot of money. That means there's a big chunk of those route networks. You know, if you're losing money overall, there's a big chunk that's losing a lot of money. My guess is the longer this plays out, the more and more it, you know, sort of pushes executives to make hard decisions that they would rather not make, to just stop flying places and lose money.”
On , J. Kirby, Chief Executive Officer & Director at United Airlines Holdings Inc, spoke about airline profitability during United Airlines CEO Discusses Industry Challenges on Bloomberg Podcasts.
About J. Kirby
Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, has recently discussed several industry challenges in media appearances. In interviews at the International Air Transport Association in Rio de Janeiro, Kirby stated that demand for air travel remains strong, particularly in the U.S., and that the upcoming summer is expected to be a record season. He noted that rising fuel costs are being passed on to customers, with United currently passing through 40 to 50 percent of the increase and aiming for 100 percent by the end of the year. Kirby also said that engine supply constraints, particularly from Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney, are a significant issue, grounding around 900 aircraft globally, and predicted these constraints could limit supply for the next decade. He added that he expects oil prices to remain in the range of $90 to $110 per barrel for the indefinite future. On the CNBC podcast Squawk Pod in April 2026, Kirby responded to President Trump’s comments that he would not support a merger between United and American Airlines, saying United had not commented on consolidation rumors and he would not start doing so. He also discussed United’s goal of building a globally competitive airline and noted that while bookings remain strong, a 15 to 20 percent increase in fares could eventually reduce demand, leading United to pull some capacity by the fourth quarter.