United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has once again praised President Trump’s tariff policy, arguing noble intentions of creating middle-class careers are the driving force. But is something else going on? Is Kirby courting favor with the Trump administration because he has an ulterior motive?
United Airlines CEO Doubles Down On Tariff Embrace: Is JetBlue The Prize?
Earlier this month, Live And Let’s Fly was first to report on positive remarks Kirby directed toward the Trump Administration’s tariff policy. Kirby later told me that those marks were unscripted and off-the-cuff; they were not planned.
Three weeks later, Kirby is sticking to the message, almost verbatim.
On Thursday, April 24, 2025, Kirby spoke at Semafor’s 2025 World Economy Summit in Washington, DC (thanks to One Mile At A Time for flagging this). Asked about tariffs, Kirby again gave them a positive spin. You can watch the video clip below or read his full statement, which I’ve transcribed to ensure nothing is taken out of context:
After spending a lot of time in the White House and talking to cabinet secretaries and talking to the president, we should all take a breath, but we’re not to the end state yet. You know, we’re in the process and we should all wait to get closer to the end state. The other thing I would say is having spent a lot of time there back in March, I was not surprised at a large tariff…I didn’t know what it would be, but I thought it was going be larger than the market expected. Also, I wouldn’t have expected that it was just the first move in a chess game and that there were a lot of moves left to come.
And I think part of that comes from…whether you think it’s the right tactic or not…it’s easy to argue that it’s the tactics, but the president has a genuine desire to make things better for middle-class Americans. To create good careers. The kind of careers, by the way, that United Airlines is one of the few people that still create. One of the fwe places where poeple with a high school education can come and once they get to the top of seniority scale, have good benefits, get, with overtime, get the six digit income, support a family, buy a house, have a career, work at one place for 40 years and retire with a solid future.
And he’s trying to create those kinds of jobs I think tariffs are about that. I think that’s the biggest motivation. I think it’s more complicated than tariffs to actually do it but that’s the motivation. I feel like I’ve spent enough time here to understand why what they’re doing…it’s not terribly surprising and it’s a lot easier to deal with the world and you’re not surprised and you uou understand why then you’re just guessing and you’re feeling like chaos and uncertainty.
I don’t know that we’ll ever know the mind of Scott Kirby. And yet he has staked out a very different position than, say, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian, who called tariffs “the wrong approach.”
Should an airline CEO curry favor with the current administration? Should a travel blog turn political? What is truth?
My Thoughts On Kirby’s Tariff Affirmation
I’ve studied Scott Kirby closely since his pivot from American Airlines to United Airlines in 2016. Watching him over the last decade, I have a lot of respect for him…and while there are some things that make me shake my head (the continued degradation of MileagePlus under his tenure being my greatest objection), I view him as a very smart man.
Concerning tariffs, he either genuinely believes in them or he is playing a careful game of chess because he has his sights on a bigger prize.
It’s no surprise that Kirby has courted the Trump Administration and donated to his inauguration. Kirby also courted the Biden administration and the first Trump administration…airline CEOs are politicians (Kirby is actually much more hands-on than most) and it pays to be on the side of the party in power.
Let’s review why United is in the place it is today: taxpayer-supported government bailouts during the pandemic. While smaller companies were offered modest support and Americans were issued stimulus checks that simply drove inflation, airlines were bailed out with direct aid, subsidies, tax breaks, and forgivable loans.
Without that, United would be emerging from bankruptcy as a small carrier (and would not be alone).
We know that President Trump demands loyalty (just ask Mike Pence…). We know that Sean Duffy, the Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary, is a very loyal lieutenant to Trump.
Here are four reasons why Kirby sees it in United’s financial interest to heap praises on the Trump administration:
- Priority of Air Traffic Control upgrades – there’s only so much DOT money to go around and Kirby would like it upgrade the aging air traffic control infrastructure in the USA
- United may have publicly denied it, but I am convinced Kirby wants United and JetBlue to merge, paving the way for United to return to New York JFK, and now is the time, during a “pro-business” and “anti-red tape” administration
- If there is an economic downturn, Kirby wants more subsidies from federal taxpayers, just like during the pandemic: there are winners and losers in every economic policy, but Kirby wants to ensure that United is not on the losing end
- United currently has a labor advantage by paying its union employees less and Kirby has an interest in ensuring that federal mediators do not side with work groups like flight attendants or mechanics as the worsening economy creates a ‘perfect storm” for labor deals that undercut industry peers
Let’s not forget President Trump once ran an airline himself and is deeply interested in airlines (to wit, he is personally shopping for a replacement Air Force One). Kirby may have 80,000 employees who lean left, but he has a customer base that is still evenly split. I deeply understand why he would go out of his way not to offend President Trump or his voters.
Those on the left will call it cowardice, but he’s doing his job…he’s trying to set United up for success regardless of the economic headwinds.
CONCLUSION
There can be legitimate disagreement on the intentions and execution of the Trump administration’s trade policy. When I hear Kirby speak, though, I think his concern is not that at all, but positioning United for assistance from the Trump administration when it comes to labor, mergers, air traffic control, and direct aid in case of a recession.
Time will tell, but I think Kirby is playing the role of politician and I’m not sure it’s reasonable to fault him for that, because attacking the POTUS over tariffs will not make them go away…it will only create a target on his back.
Kissing the president’s orange ass is the current policy in the US.
Mango Mussolini only has bootlickers around. With the exception of his Russian chief
Awwww someone is still bitter about the election.
Suck it up loser.
Actually, Ricardo sounds factual. Chi Chi sounds bitter as usual. How’s that closet working for you ChiChi?
I don’t know, why don’t you come inside and I’ll unzip my pants so you can taste it?
Props to you for coming out of the closet. It’s refreshing to see someone with your political leanings being clear about their sexuality.
According to Yahoo Finance, Blackrock is Jetblue’s largest shareholder (Icahn Carl is only #3). Institutional investors love consolidation.
Trump would approve all airlines merger, as Trump understands airlines industry need scale to become profitable. Scott Kirby curry favour with Trump only to smooth them further.
If United tries to buy JetBlue which would drive up airline fares, I’m sure attorneys general in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Washington state and probably Colorado would take the case to court even if Trump/Bondi doesn’t.
Kirby doesn’t give a damn about anything but his spreadsheets.
@Chi … Yep .
First, every CEO should be advocating for the success of their company and there is no evidence that other airline CEOs aren’t just as successful.
But real business leaders speak the truth which is that, based on all known modern economic theory, tariffs will be harmful to lots of people and organizations. Even if they succeed, the cost of implementing them might well be more than the gain that comes from them. At a minimum, the amount of low cost consumer products from Asia will decrease and it is very possible that a number of high end products from Europe including luxury cars will become more expensive.
Second, United is Kirby’s 4th airline after America West, USAirways and American. Kirby would love to have you think that he was some airline genius that was hampered from doing all that he now is doing but there is ample evidence that his hands are all over a number of decisions that were part of US and AA’s decline. He also has made it clear over and over that DL is the goal he was shooting for in terms of profitability and many of the strategies that UA has implemented were strategies that DL successfully implemented years ago.
The greatest strategic blunder in US airline history has got to be the DL-US DCA/LGA slot swap – and Kirby directly negotiated it. Continental developed the only large viable hub in NYC even though US had half of the slots at LGA. DL had used the post 9/11 period to rapidly grow JFK including by adding flights when the FAA dropped slot controls. DL and US had opposite “halves” of the NYC puzzles outside of LGA and JFK. DL managed to convince US (and Kirby) to swap far fewer DCA slots which DL had for a far larger number of LGA slots giving DL just under half of LGA slots and a slightly smaller portion of JFK slots that were held by US carriers (about ¼ of JFK’s slots are held by foreign airlines). DL has slowly and methodically built its LGA and JFK presence to now have 15% more flights than UA has at EWR. Under previous UA administrations, UA not only left JFK but allowed EWR slot controls to be removed. Under Kirby in 2024, UA overscheduled EWR, resulting in a meltdown to UA’s system and has had to limit EWR flights if it wishes to run a reliable operation, which it does. Kirby and UA have done more to build DL’s presence in NYC than any other factors.
Which brings us to why UA and Kirby wants B6 – and he specifically said in their 4th quarter earnings call that they would love to talk to B6 if they are interested in talking. It isn’t a veiled invitation but is pretty direct.
UA knows that AA is wounded in NYC. Allowing UA into JFK w/ B6 assets would permanently maim AA. And of course UA wants to neutralize DL’s advantage.
UA loves to tout that it is the largest airline in the world and also the largest in NYC by revenue – and it is. Sucking up to any president isn’t going to change antitrust laws which are not going to allow any oligopolistic industry to consolidate the world’s largest air travel market into an even stronger position for any one carrier. And it isn’t the government or American consumers’ responsibility to bail UA out of its failure to develop Florida where it is the number 6 carrier even as UA endlessly touts the value of new seasonal narrowbody service to Mongolia, Greenland and other off the wall destinations. UA simply has not taken advantage of opportunities to develop its domestic network and allowing them to dominate in other parts of its network to gain Florida is a price that the US will not allow to happen.
Everyone knows ATC needs to be fixed. For the first time in decades, there is a real commitment to starting over from the ground up. Airline regulation needs to be fair but not punitive for anyone.
And specific to B6, if the big 4 are allowed to participate in any form of consolidation either with themselves or other airlines, then UA/B6 will not likely be the last or the largest. It is precisely because DL has always taken the long game that it is capable of responding to whatever UA does. AA and WN are both significantly underperforming the industry; there is far less overlap between DL and either AA or WN than there is between B6 and UA.
And DL also gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
DL has a far longer and stronger track record of running a good business and airline than UA.
and DL execs don’t repeatedly say that other airlines have to fail for DL to succeed which is what UA execs do all the time.
The notion that the US will make dumb decisions to benefit one company at the expense of the rest of the country because someone thought that the world revolves around them is a seriously flawed understanding of reality.
I actually hope you are right…but my bet is that UA will make a play for B6 and just might succeed and I think Duffy’s (and every other senior official’s) own words show that brownnosing pays dividends.
what Duffy words are you referring to?
He is over the DOT but it is the DOJ (Pam Bondi) that is over the DOJ which has to approve mergers.
and the issue is that UA would have to steamroll over established antitrust guidelines in order to do any kind of deal w/ B6 when the same guidelines were used against AA.
It is clear that Kirby still has vindictiveness a mile wide for AA and wants desperately to take them out.
the bigger issue is that allowing any of the big 4 to consolidate in any way opens the door to other consolidation. Kirby might think “his deal” is ok to move forward but others should not.
DL and UA are the two carriers that are generating profits but DL is in a better financial position from a balance sheet standpoint. The rest of the industry could become the target of DL and UA. It would be very bad for the US to allow DL and UA to carve up the US. and DL could justifiably make a better argument for taking over AA or WN
B6′ network won’t work at UA’s costs and that was true for AA/B6 which is why AA didn’t want to do a merger.
I don’t think it will happen but there is still way too much domestic capacity in the market and the only way enough of it will come out is if there a chapter among either AA or WN to remove about 20% of THEIR capacity or a merger that will involve a significant restructuring of one of the acquired carriers.
let’s see what B6 says in their earnings (loss) report next week which I am sure you will cover
Spot on.
I haven’t been a Kirby fan since he was at HP. He’s personally responsible for a lot of the damage at American. Then he stepped in at United where Oscar had laid the foundation for recovery and took the credit. Since then he’s lead, even if often in the wrong direction. Now he’s showing that he’s absolutely without any morals or integrity by supporting policies that can destroy our nation. I suppose I should be grateful that he’s clearly shown that he’s a miserable human being so I can despise his shortsightedness but this is simply too far.
@Christian … Tariff negotiations are “policies that can destroy our nation” ???
Hardly . Take a “Reality Drink” .
When you already have a miserable life, I suppose you won’t notice when the rest of the country is in shambles.
I look forward to the empty shelves we will start seeing soon. It will be harder for high school education level buffoons to explain it away.
Honesty and integrity are meaningless nowadays; at least when dealing with this administration. Kirby has proven time and again that his morals are flexible. When Trump finally backs away from tariffs, I’m sure Kirby will be the first one to come out and say it’s a genius move and that he’s a master negotiator. He’s made lots of money, he’ll continue to make money, and in that regard, I suppose the joke’s on us. But he probably won’t be invited to speak at any ethics seminars any time soon.
I have to say…
I really like Scott Kirby but this would be a new low for the USA if flattery to the President results in a positive outcome for antitrust review with the DOJ.
The DOJ has proven throughout many administrations that antitrust review is truly subject to the administration but just wow… if the NEA was approved by the Trump DOT, then sued successfully (though the appeals are still outstanding, I believe) by the Biden DOJ >> then UA is allowed to buy B6 Under AG Bondi…
it really would be a new low for the rule of law, even if the DOJ has been rather politicized by both sides
well said, Max.
If any of the big 3 should have been able to even do a revenue merger -which is what the NEA was – it should have been AA.
but as much as some people believe otherwise, the NEA was challenged because it failed multiple fundamental tests that have been applied to every airline merger. The NEA would have concentrated market share even more than DL or UA have from NYC and BOS as well as in S. Florida. Also, the NEA eliminated a lower cost competitor.
Neither of those two principles change – and would be amplified – under a UA-B6 scenario – domestic JV or full scale merger.
The entire notion of any merger activity of the big 4 is more than a stretch. There is enough market specific concentration or reduction of competition at a national level that it is hard to believe that consumer interests could be served.
Airlines are high profile and the administration is simply not going to die to push mergers in the airline industry at the risk of alienating key states which most certainly would object.
sometimes, companies and individuals have to live w/ bad decisions that either they made or someone else before them made.
In UA’s case, that just might be a very weak position in Florida and no presence at JFK.
Careful.
You’ll give Matthew hope for us 😉
Ten days ago Kirby delivered the Q 1 report with cautions about the future outlook regarding the current “unknowns” . Today he is the optimistic cheerleader. Hmm. Must be painful kissing so much butt.
He’s just a typical oligarch sucking up to a fascist
Suckholing to the Mad Orange God-King is always very unfortunate. Kirby has humiliated himself. Weak. Very weak.
Kirby is nothing more than a ball licking, a$$ wiping sycophant. Gross.