United Airlines CEO Offers Vote of Confidence for Boeing

The CEO of United Airlines is upbeat about Boeing’s future after a meeting with the manufacturer’s new top executive.

United’s Scott Kirby posted his feelings on LinkedIn after having lunch with the new Boeing CEO Robert “Kelly” Ortberg.

In the post, Kirby said that he was “not only encouraged by what I heard, but I also came away with a renewed confidence that Boeing is on the right path and will recover faster than most expect.”

Kirby’s comments are a significant departure from the past, as United had consistently expressed frustration with Boeing as the plane maker struggles with everything from quality control to delayed delivery of aircraft.

United has about 484 unfilled orders with Boeing, according to a report from CNBC. Other airlines, including Southwest, are also dealing with delayed aircraft deliveries from Boeing.

The manufacturer has been struggling to recover since the door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 earlier this year.

But in his LinkedIn post, Kirby said Ortberg is up to the task ahead, when it comes to getting Boeing back on track.

“His engineering background at Rockwell Collins, combined with an instinct to be close to his frontline teams in Seattle, makes for a winning combination,” continued Kirby in his social media post. “It was clear from our discussion that he’s 100% engaged, understands the cultural changes needed to turn things around and is committed to listening to his employees and customers.”

Kirby also praised Boeing employees in his public comments.

“Boeing’s 170,000+ employees have the expertise, drive, and commitment to get the company back to being one of the best and most important brands in the world,” he said.

Kirby was apparently not the only airline CEO to meet with Boeing’s new leader. Ortberg also met with American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, CNBC reported.

Ortberg took the helm of Boeing a week ago.

---

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

Topics From This Article to Explore