United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has sent a memo to employees seeking to assuage safety fears over Newark Liberty International Airport that have been swirling in the news over the last several days, as the busy New Jersey airport has grappled with congestion and air traffic controller shortages. His solution, not surprisingly, is slot controls.
United Airlines CEO: Newark Airport Is Safe, But We Need Slot Controls
Let’s take a look at Kirby’s full note to employees today, shared with Live And Let’s Fly:
Team,
Newark remains in the news and many of you likely saw my customer message last Friday – some of the news coverage and social commentary is accurate and some misleading so I thought I should try to clear things up for all of you.
First and most importantly, all the flights in and out of EWR are absolutely safe. When there are FAA issues – technology outages, staffing shortages, etc. – the FAA requires all airlines to slow down aircraft and/or cancel flights to maintain the highest levels of safety.
We do our part to maintain safety as well. As you all know, our pilots have thousands of hours of flight experience and supplement that with regular simulator training – we also have procedures that our pilots follow to re-establish communication if controllers lose radio contact to navigate the airplane safely to its destination.
In short, neither the FAA nor United pilots will ever compromise on safety.
But when the FAA has technology outages or staffing shortages, it does lead to delays and cancellations for our customers and *that’s* the issue we’re determined to solve for the long-term.
EWR is a crown jewel of the region and an international gateway for the United States – close to 50 million people flew through EWR last year – but the truth is there are more flights scheduled there than the FAA can handle.
In ideal weather, with full staffing and with perfectly functioning technology, the FAA tells us that the airport can only handle 77 flights per hour. And yet, the FAA regularly approves schedules of 80+ flights per hour almost every day between 3:00pm and 8:00pm. This math doesn’t work. Especially when there is weather, staffing issues or technology breakdowns – the airspace, taxiways, and runways get backed up and gridlock occurs.
How can that continually happen at EWR?
Well, every other large capacity constrained airport in the world uses slots to make sure that the number of scheduled flights in any given hour does not exceed the airport’s maximum capacity. And EWR is the only large airport in the world that no longer has this basic common-sense rule (in 2016, the FAA de-slotted EWR).
We try to do our part to address these constraints: we regularly reduce our own schedules (we just cut another 35 flights to relieve pressure and give the FAA more flexibility to catch up), we’ve invested in infrastructure and technology to make our operation more efficient, and we have upgauged our flights by 20% to give our customers more seats per aircraft.
But we can’t do it alone. Other airlines simply backfill our flying when we reduce our schedule.
In reality, only the FAA can actually fix EWR. And here are the steps to make it happen:
- Limit the airport to 48 flights / hour while the runway is under construction (this is underway);
- Return EWR to a Level 3 slot controlled airport – this is the ONLY way to achieve 77 flights per hour;
- Modernize the ATC system;
- And get EWR ATC fully staffed.
It’s long past time to treat EWR like the crown jewel that it is. It was a mistake to de-slot the airport in 2016 – every single data point says so – and we’ll continue to work closely with the FAA and DOT to get EWR fixed once and for all and deliver the country the first-class air traffic system it deserves.
Scott
Kirby’s Understandably Self-Serving Call For Slot Controls
One can hardly blame Kirby for demanding that slot control return to Newark, though I’d be careful what you wish for: if slot limitations are reintroduced, United might find itself ceding some of its dominance to other carriers in the name of competition.
Kirby contends, “We regularly reduce our own schedules (we just cut another 35 flights to relieve pressure and give the FAA more flexibility to catch up), we’ve invested in infrastructure and technology to make our operation more efficient, and we have upgaugeed our flights by 20% to give our customers more seats per aircraft,” and he’s right that United should not have to reduce flights alone (other carriers should have to bear the pain of runway construction and ATC shrotages as well).
But on the other hand, as the dominant carrier in Newark trying to become an even more premium carrier, operational performance is essential, and if runway and air traffic control conditions lead to daily delays exceeding 40% of flights, something has to change, regardless of what your competitors do.
United’s operational performance in Newark is unacceptable and it won’t get any better in the weeks ahead without flight cutbacks.
We’ve seen a lot of unhelpful and sensational headlines in the media about Newark Airport:
Yes, Drudge, this is a “national embarrassment,” but there’s a difference between a situation being embarrassing and dangerous.
I’ve had multiple Award Expert clients (my consulting service) ask me about whether Newark is safe and my answer is yes…but expect delays.
CONCLUSION
Kirby is again calling for slot controls at Newark Airport, arguing the airport is too congested and United should not have to cutback flights alone. If I were Kirby, my concern is that slot controls will mean United has to restrict flying even more at Newark. The long-term solution is clear: invest in infrastructure, both at the airport and in air traffic control towers. But expect a lot of pain between today and reaching that point…
Once the new terminal is finished at Dulles it seems to me that shifting a number of Intl flights to there would be the way to go. Dulles offers a much better connecting experience, better weather, easier ATC traffic and more runways. The focus for EWR should be on premium flights that cater to the tri-state area for point to point routes (i.e. LAX, SFO, LHR, CDG, FRA, NRT). As well, some of these could even move to JFK.
I have never met anyone who is like, “Oh, Good, I get to connect in EWR.” It’s time to make Dulles the overwhelming major gateway to Europe and the Middle East and just retool EWR as a focus city.
Sure. But some of that new terminal also needs to take some of the load from C&D during peak hours. Otherwise the severe overcrowding in C&D will never improve. It’s been a problem for too long.
Agreed, but a few things. I have not looked at the plans yet but I believe moving between terminals will be a bit easier once the new opens. I’m almost wondering if so will any gates would open in A/B for overflow for UA? Flying out of there weekly it’s astounding how uncrowded it is with gates often used twice a day only.
Living in DC I would also say that you could easily add a LOT more late night departures from IAD to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Past 9PM even the current C/D is very quiet. I am often on the late departure to LHR or FRA and it’s a virtual ghost town. Yes, you need to feed them – but using more mainline jets might help with that from mid-markets line BNA or OMA. If the new terminal is anything like A/B now it will comfortably handle crowds far more efficiently. Currently, not at all.
I’m really excited to see how this all plays out. As someone who has grown up in DC I have seen the changes over the years….all the way from a kid boarding the “mobile lounge” to the plane from the main terminal, to the A/B terminal, to the trains, to the new C/D coming. On the one hand so much was lost in that Dulles should have done this years ago. It could have been another ATL. On the other hand it is wonderful to see the growth come to fruition at last as a world class hub.
And that view when you drive around the corner on the access road during sunset, as the main terminal comes into view, after decades it never ceases to make me smile.
I agree for the most part. And I bet UA is thanking God they have the IAD hub right about now. I’ve never understood why anyone would willingly connect at any NYC airport (or ORD for that matter), when other connecting options are available. Yes, UA should “rightsize” EWR to focus on NYC O&D traffic and leave the connecting pax to IAD, IAH, and DEN.
@Antwerp is right. IAD has a ton of potential and hasn’t gotten enough love in the past 20-30 years. Lying at the southwestern end of the NEC and the northeastern tip of “the south”, it’s in a great location for a hub to feed traffic throughout the eastern 1/3 of the USA. Add in IAH at the southwest end and (with B6) FLL at the southeast end and UA will have a very strong market position in the southeastern US – which it lacks now.
As for EWR, it’s been a trainwreck for decades. And I don’t see any of the ideas posited above fixing that situation.
Antwerp is correct, but UA has been trying to feed traffic through IAD (rather than EWR) for years. Here’s a story I wrote in 2018:
United Shifting Strategy at Newark + Washington Hubs
UA just needs to do it more aggressively.
Curious where your confidence comes from — are you saying you genuinely don’t have safety concerns over the situation at Newark? I don’t want to sensationalize, and we don’t really live in a world where safety is a binary issue, but there do seem to be legitimate issues at Newark (and Reagan, perhaps even more so) that directly touch on the safety of operations.
I may be the fool, but I still have faith in the system and think all parties are self-intersted in slowing down traffic whenver there is any question over safety.
I’m not sure what Kirby is supposed to do here. He’s sucked up to the administration about as hard as any person has. He’s done a complete 180 on his morals and values, and he’s still not getting what he needs. I guess it’s time he starts buying Trump’s meme coin instead of UA stock when they have extra cash on hand. Maybe also schedule a few $500K meet and greets down in Palm Beach.
There’s always someone in the comments of every story that has nothing to do with Trump who tries to make it about Trump. Just give it a rest already.
Really, he is right!!
Who is cutting everything including the FAA?
Since you insist on dragging politics into this, where were Biden, Kamala and Mayor Pete for the last FOUR YEARS while this situation continued to deteriorate? Where did all the $$ from Biden’s “infrastructure bill” go?
If Newark is overscheduled, how can the carrier operating the most flights not be to blame? They’re the only ones who could make a material difference!
Of course United wants slot controls back, since they still own the bulk of the slots! They want the government to keep other airlines from flying. They want to limit competition.
There are problems at Newark, like being down a runway until next month. There are ATC controller morale issues from moving approach control from N90 on Long Island to Philadelphia. And the tech hasn’t been smooth (FAA ATO tech never is).
But the better solution to limit flights *anyway* is congestion pricing rather than giving a subsidy to incumbent airlines that blocks all future competition.
Agreed, Gary!
If UA draws down the schedule without slot controls at the airport, what would stop another airline from filling in the gap with their own flights?
UA could, in theory, draw down the flights even more, only to have that gap also filled in by other airlines.
EWR, ten years ago, wasn’t great but it was more reliable than it is now, even taking the runway construction into account.
JFK and LGA are slot-controlled and are more reliable than EWR. If slots were removed at those two airports, reliability would decrease as airlines add flights.
not a thing stopping another carrier from adding flights.
But EWR flights are still FAA schedule controlled -which means that airlines are encouraged to work w/ the FAA. I doubt if any airlines are intentionally dumping flights into EWR.
But they will if UA keeps up with this nonsense about EWR needing to be slot-controlled when the reality is that there is a runway out of service and that has been known for months.
add in that the NE has had bad weather for multiple days which have meant that EWR’s crosswind runway cannot be used and it is a recipe for substantial capacity cuts – far beyond the 48 flights/hour that Kirby suggested that EWR should have been reduced to.
UA is the largest operator and they could have taken schedules down to levels that would have accommodated bad weather on top of construction but they weren’t willing to give up any share to DL – so they kept the schedules at unreasonably optimistic levels and now the news is full of stories about how bad EWR delays are.
DL and to a lesser extent AA and B6 won anyway.
it would have been so much easier if UA had simply cut about 1/3 of the flights for the day the runway construction was supposed to start.
And furthermore from Scott … blah blah blah and blah blah. And now I’m off to Palm Beach to suck up even more because I left a drop.
Gary gets it as does Matthew.
EWR CANNOT handle 48 flights/hour with one of the two main runways unavailable during construction.
It is precisely because they consistently overschedule EWR that it is the mess that it is.
They know full well that if they cut capacity, DL will take even more share in NYC; DL is already the largest domestic airline in NYC and they don’t want to give another inch.
shifting flights to IAD doesn’t help if they have to cut flights during major time channels to EWR.
and if there is even a hint of reintroducing slot controls, AA, DL and a whole lot of other carriers will add a bunch of flights first.
let’s remember that EWR was slot controlled until about 10 years ago and those slot controls were lifted by the FAA because UA failed to utilize its slots to FAA requirements.
Maybe Kirby should have thought about that reality before jumping from AA to UA
I find myself in odd company.
I don’t mean to be part of a conspiracy, but this all just reeks of Scott Kirby desperately wanting slot controls back at an airport he already controls as a monopoly. Which should not be allowed, simply.
If slots are reintroduced, United should have to bid and pay for every single slot like every other carrier since their own usage caused this. The government should not gift monopoly status due to a carrier’s incompetence in operations.
United sold their JFK slots, at profit, and is now attempting to create their own slot portfolio as a new asset at no cost to themselves. It should not be for free. It should be at the same cost as other carriers, per slot.
I agree with you…and Tim! 😉
shhh. don’t tell him. 😉
Though, apparently, the new NYC “biggest airline” metric is domestic only.
United is the biggest airline across the three NYC airports, by any normal airline size metric. 😉
The Port Authority of NY and NJ clearly shows that DL has the most flights
and they also show that for the 12 months ending March 2025, DL has grown while AA, B6 and UA are all smaller than they were a year ago
And yet DL is still smaller than UA in 2024 in seats and ASMs (the commonly accepted size metric in the industry) across the three NYC airports. What are you even arguing now? Nobody is trying to measure sizes with you. They’re just simple facts and very commonly accepted size metrics in the industry.
Flying regionals to ALB and ORH out of LGA doesn’t make DL bigger or more relevant vs UA in NYC. It makes them slot squatters. Flying to ALB and ORH because Delta doesn’t seem to have more profitable uses for an LGA slot.
United is just bigger in NYC than DL by any normal size comparison metrics. United, in fact, is about 24% bigger in the traditional industry metric, capacity, in NYC.
If it makes you feel better, you can crow all you like about Delta being bigger than AA in NYC. They are. Just not vs United. You’ll also be thrilled to know United is growing year on year, just like Delta. But the biggest in terms of absolute scheduled flight growth 25 vs 24 or in percent terms is AA across the three NYC airports. Not going to change their relative position but AA is the largest in absolute growth or percent for 25 vs 24.
actually, Max, ASMS is the metric that UA wants to use because that is where they are ahead.
and yet UA can’t translate those world-high ASMs into world-leading revenue or profits – other than by not paying their people industry leading salaries.
No, Max, revenue is the global standard for measuring business size.
None of which changes that UA is a shrinking airline in NYC- the Port Authority says so. And the gap between DL and UA will widen as April through June traffic data comes in. When the CEO of United tells people to avoid flying in/out of EWR and the airport is regularly featured on all of the national newscasts multiple times/week, people get the message to use LGA and JFK where AA and DL have large operations and DL is the largest at both airports.
UA and its fans crowed endlessly how great the single hub strategy at EWR was and is and it has repeatedly been shown that no airport in NYC can handle the volume of traffic that it takes to singularly win in NYC – which is why DL has hubs at 2 of the 3 airports. Even if LGA has perimeter restrictions, it is still the primary airport for inside perimeter destinations – carries more traffic to the eastern US than EWR.
AA is half the size of DL. again, comes right from government data.
I know it is hard for you to admit that DL has executed its NYC strategy where AA B6 and UA have slipped but that is exactly what has been the case.
It is not hard to see why UA wants into JFK.
I am sure for giving up 1/4 of the flights at EWR and allowing other carriers to replace those former UA flights, there might be the basis for a discussion about a couple dozen slots at NYC’s preferred longhaul airport – JFK.
Again. United and AA are not shrinking 25 to 24 as their schedules stand today. I know people with data are your kryptonite but… facts are facts
Per AA? Ok. I guess you took my advice to crow about them quite literally?
I don’t need to admit anything about delta. They’ve done a great job building an nyc hub. That doesn’t make them the biggest, as you suggest, by normal industry metrics.
If revenue is the new metric for size (it isn’t), feel free to show us how delta is generating more absolute revenue than delta with fewer flights and ASMs. (They’re not)
It’s like you live to argue sometimes or just attempt to change the topic when shown incorrect. I have a great Monty Python skit you’ll enjoy
Have a Great Thursday
“ If revenue is the new metric for size (it isn’t), feel free to show us how delta is generating more absolute revenue than delta with fewer flights and ASMs. (They’re not)”
In New York, that is
The Port Authority says that on a rolling 12 months basis, DL is growing at NYC’s 3 airports while AA, B6 and UA.
neither airlines or the Port Authority or the DOT release total revenue including international by city.
No one releases ASMs by city or airport.
At best, NYC is a divided market with DL and UA neck in neck – and DL growing with every other larger player shrinking.
The gap will very likely widen in DL’s favor as April, May and June data comes in. When the UA CEO tells people to avoid EWR and the press repeatedly carries the story, people just might listen.
Yes, DL has upended the UA talking point that one airport can serve as a single hub in NYC. DL has 2 hubs at 2 airports and one of them is at LGA which is the primary and preferred short haul airport -which is why DL is the largest domestic airline in NYC.
it doesn’t matter how much you or anyone else wants to twist reality but those are the facts.
You’re well aware that data is out there. You’ve been furious at me for daring to have the data and challenge your dogma with actual facts. Facts are facts regardless of whether you have them.
You’ll just have to decide if I’m evil America West or United management out to get you 😉
Just pick a side this time. It’s a little tiring to figure out which evil side I am
Enjoy your day.
I don’t really care who you are.
I do care about facts and verifiable data from you and everyone else.
when you make it your goal in life to chase people around the internet trying to argue w/ them, you will lose.
and, no, there is no verifiable public data regarding revenue including international flights, let alone profits, at the metro area and airport level.
Port Authority data does verify that AA, B6 and UA are shrinking in NYC while DL is growing.
It is not a surprise why UA wants into JFK given that trend.
Everyone w/ half a brain can see through UA’s self-serving commentary.
EWR never was capable of serving as a single hub for all of NYC.
DL played its cards right in building hubs at 2 of the 3 NYC airports.
enjoy your day, tim
Facts are facts even though you like to make assumptions and conclusions absent them.
Perhaps when you stop replying to me all the time on these threads, these comments about me chasing you will mean more.
I’ve been loving this site for years while you proudly claimed you never go to it on other sites.
my day is going well; thank you very much, Max.
I write and respond to what is relevant including providing facts and I do it on any website on which I choose to participate.
Let’s face it that you want the last word and you want to make that last word biased and antagonistic.
I don’t play that game.
btw, are you aware that AA and UA have had to suspend their flights to DEL because of the hostilities between India and Pakistan?
UA is not operating its 2 daily flights to TLV and DL is in the same position for its single daily flight.
International is always a riskier business than domestic; DL’s share of traffic just for these two events will increase relative to UA even before the reality that EWR’s ATC concerns are on websites around the world.
“Let’s face it that you want the last word and you want to make that last word biased and antagonistic.”
Not you trying to get the last word by telling me I want the last word lol. There’s nothing biased or antagonistic by reminding you there’s data, but you just don’t like it. Perhaps stop replying to me all the time as you keep doing.
“btw, are you aware that AA and UA have had to suspend their flights to DEL because of the hostilities between India and Pakistan?… International is always a riskier business than domestic; ”
lol. What? Is AA now an international behemoth? And DL and UA just suspended flights to TLV. So? Your arguments get stranger and stranger. I think anyone that has looked at NYC-DEL flight paths is perfectly ok not flying into a potential war zone between two nuclear-armed countries. It’s tough to even pin you down on anything. For years, you’ve been screaming from the rooftops about Delta’s incoming MASSIVE international growth that will overtake United and make Delta the biggest EVER with the A35k. Now you’re taking a new tune that domestic is best?
You’ll enjoy this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLlv_aZjHXc
This really has become more than stupid for both of us.
I’m not here to argue with anyone.
We all understand why airlines have to suspend service.
None of that changes that DL is growing in NYC while AA, B6 and UA are shrinking.
The sooner you quit arguing and trying to defame me, the sooner we can both coexist in the same place.
And nowhere have I ever said that DL would overtake UA in international. I have said that DL would accelerate its growth in the Pacific as a result of the arrival of the A350-1000s.
The 35K is simply the most capable and efficient aircraft that US airlines could have in their fleets and DL has them coming which is unique among US airlines.
and the chances are that DL will add 35K service to JFK in time.
“I’m not here to argue with anyone.”
tell that to your mirror. I’d imagine your mirror will appreciate the question.
“We all understand why airlines have to suspend service.”
Do you? because you just tried to talk about DEL service on AA/UA as a reason why domestic is better completely ignoring DL’s own huge international increase that you’ve gone CRAZY about lately… and AA is now your comparison for large International service… at JFK?!?
But UA/DL suspends TLV service after restarting it under what AA considered dumb circumstances… And you’re a big fan of DL cancels? Pick a side. Delta cancels warzone service but DL to TLV is immune to international service so long as it aligns to your NYC preconceptions?
But let’s be honest. DL hasn’t started US-nonstop DEL service ever… EVER.
Again… AA at JFK can start DEL Service, but DL can’t and will not…
You need to pick a lane before figuring out your own talking points.
There’s no reason to consider countering you with facts as defaming you. If you don’t have the data, don’t say your usual spiel. The only reason you talk about “defaming” is because you keep saying nonsense with no data then get mad when someone with data says you’re just flat out wrong, which you are. Delta is not the biggest on revenue, ASMs, or seats in NYC. They are not as much as you try to change the conversation, per usual when you run out of things to say. United is the biggest. Fact. But thanks for admitting it by lack of argument against it.
Stick to what you know. Don’t make stuff up. This isn’t hard. This has happened over and over and over to you. You say nonsense calling it fact, then get called out on it by those with facts. But then you argue about being mad about lack of your own facts… mad that you KEEP saying things that are simply NOT true.
Again. You have some good inputs to the conversation, but stop trying to represent “opinion” as fact when facts actually exist, though you don’t like them.