United Airlines CEO wants incoming Trump team to hire more air traffic controllers

Scott Kirby, United Airlines CEO, has been very public about the shortage of air traffic controllers -- which he says should be a top priority for the second Trump administration.

Transcript

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Across the country, business leaders are wondering what a new presidential administration means for them. That includes the nation's airlines. The head of United is the latest executive to go public about what he wants to see. Here's NPR's Joel Rose.

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JOEL ROSE, BYLINE: CEO Scott Kirby stood in front of a brand-new United jet in a hangar at Dulles International Airport in Virginia as he unveiled plans for a new concourse outside the nation's Capitol.

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SCOTT KIRBY: It's an exciting day here at Dulles for us at United.

ROSE: But that's not all Kirby is doing in town this week. He's also planning to meet with the incoming administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. For Kirby, the top priority is getting more air traffic controllers on the job.

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KIRBY: It is the biggest issue, the biggest opportunity to make air travel better for customers in the United States.

ROSE: Some of United's competitors say they're looking forward to a dramatic change from the Biden administration, which passed a series of ambitious protections for passengers, including a rule that airlines must offer cash refunds when flights are canceled or significantly delayed. The CEO of Delta Airlines, Ed Bastian, says the Trump administration will be a, quote, "breath of fresh air" after what he called four years of government overreach. But Kirby, the United CEO, did not use that language in an interview with NPR.

KIRBY: I am perfectly comfortable with airlines - United and other airlines - being held accountable. I do want the government to hold themselves to the same standards.

ROSE: Kirby commends the Federal Aviation Administration for doing the best it can. But Kirby says the agency is still thousands of air traffic controllers short of full staffing and desperately needs more money.

KIRBY: What I hope for is that we can focus on the basic blocking and tackling - hire enough controllers, work on technology upgrades - the kind of things that any business would do.

ROSE: Kirby says it's the same thing he urged the Biden administration to focus on, and his message has not changed.

Joel Rose, NPR News, Dulles, Virginia.

(SOUNDBITE OF ERWIN DO, SAINT RUMI AND BRASS.BEATS' "FRESH PERSPECTIVE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.