Ten years after American Airlines fired him, Scott Kirby is running United Airlines and pushing to grow it further. United is now the second-most profitable US airline, behind Delta Air Lines. American, Kirby's former employer, sits a distant third among the major legacy carriers.
CNBC rode with Kirby from Midtown Manhattan to United's hub at Newark Liberty International Airport earlier this month. The 59-year-old executive used the trip to outline his plans for the carrier, which include expanding United's presence at John F. Kennedy International Airport and adding new international routes.
Kirby said United could return to JFK through a partnership with JetBlue Airways, the former partner of American Airlines, as early as next year. "We got a bunch of irons in the fire to try to find ways to do it," he said, adding that United could eventually acquire slots from carriers flying unprofitable routes out of the airport.
United already holds the top position among US airlines for international flights. Kirby wants to expand that further. This week, United is set to announce a new batch of international routes, an annual event that has previously included destinations like Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and Bilbao, Spain. His team has apparently learned to keep the details from him until closer to the announcement. "They no longer tell me in advance because they're afraid I'll spill the beans, which is fair," Kirby said.
Kirby has also proposed megamergers with both Delta and American over the past year, combinations that would create some of the largest airlines in the world. Those efforts have so far been rejected, and antitrust experts have expressed skepticism about whether such deals could pass regulatory review.
Delta is not standing still. CEO Ed Bastian has begun expanding Delta's Pacific routes, a region where United has historically dominated. Competition between the two carriers is intensifying on multiple fronts as both pursue international growth.
Kirby framed his competitive drive carefully when asked about his history with American. "Everyone thinks I do, but no, I don't," he said, referring to the idea of seeking revenge against his former employer. "I compete aggressively."
United announced Kirby's hire as president on August 29, 2016, almost immediately after American disclosed his departure. He has since built United into a carrier that competes directly with Delta at the top of the US airline industry, with ambitions to keep climbing.
