Latest news with #ScottKirby
CNN
3 days ago
- Business
- CNN
United CEO Weighs in on Recent Issues at Newark
"It's indicative of the need to get back to full staffing and to upgrade the infrastructure and the technology and the facilities at the FAA." United CEO Scott Kirby weighs in on recent issues at Newark.
Business Insider
11-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Qantas is pulling the plug on Jetstar Asia — and 500 jobs
Qantas is shutting down Jetstar Asia, its Singapore-based budget carrier, blaming rising operating costs and a crowded market. The budget airline will cease operations on July 31 after more than two decades. Jetstar Asia will continue flights until then on a "progressively reduced schedule," Qantas said in a statement on Wednesday. "Despite delivering exceptional customer service and operational reliability, Jetstar Asia has been impacted by rising supplier costs, high airport fees, and intensified competition in the region," the Australian company said. Jetstar Asia flies 16 routes from Singapore to destinations in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, China, Sri Lanka, and Australia. Jetstar operations in Australia, New Zealand and Japan will not be affected. Customers booked on canceled flights will be offered full refunds, and Qantas will try to move them to other airlines where possible. The shutdown will also result in the loss of more than 500 jobs, a Jetstar Asia spokesperson told Business Insider. Affected employees will be given redundancy benefits and assistance with other roles within Qantas and other airlines. Qantas added that 13 Jetstar Asia Airbus A320 aircraft will be progressively redirected to Australia and New Zealand. Qantas did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Competition among budget carriers in Southeast Asia was "brutal," Alan Tan, a professor specializing in aviation law at the National University of Singapore's Law School, told Business Insider. "The departure is a great loss from the viewpoint of price and service competition for travellers," he said. Virgin Australia IPO The closure comes on the same day that Virgin Australia announced its intention to list on the stock market in Sydney on June 24. The shares will be priced at A$2.90, raising A$685 million and valuing the company at A$2.3 billion. The IPO will allow some existing investors, including Bain Capital, Qatar Airways Group, and the Virgin Group, to realize part of their holdings. Investors participating in the offer are expected to hold about 30% of shares on issue, with the remainder being held by existing investors. Virgin carries about 20 million passengers a year on more than 100 aircraft. It operates 76 routes to 38 destinations across its domestic and short-haul international airline business. From next week it will start long-haul international services between Australia and Doha in partnership with Qatar Airways, which has a 25% stake in Virgin. Budget model is 'dead' United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby earlier this month criticized the budget airline model and called it "crappy." He told the "Future of Everything" event that the low-cost carrier model was "dead." "The model was screw the customer," he said. "It was like trick people, get them to buy, and get them to come, and then charge them a whole bunch of fees that they aren't expecting … disclosures buried in legalese," he continued. "Their problem is they got big enough that they needed repeat customers. They don't get them." His comments came the same day that United announced a new partnership with JetBlue, which some consider to be a budget carrier.
Skift
09-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Breeze CEO on Low-Cost Carriers' Future and 'The Piss-Off Factor' Keeping Tourists Away
The drop in interest in traveling to the U.S. is real, and it very well may fade as Breeze's CEO says. But repairing the brand damage will take time. As the U.S. airline industry faces growing economic uncertainty and negative travel sentiment, serial airline entrepreneur David Neeleman thinks the phase will pass. The Breeze Airways CEO also has thoughts on reforming the ultra-low-cost model, one that United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby recently declared was 'dead.' Skift spoke with Neeleman in a wide-ranging interview about the state of ultra-low-cost carriers, tariffs, and the Trump administration's travel policies. Here are four takeaways: Is the Ultra-Low-Cost Model Actually Dead? Kirby commented on the state of ultra-low-cost carriers during a Wall Street Journal event in May, also saying that 'the model was screwed.' Neeleman said he thought Kirby 'makes a really good point.' 'I don't think they're gone for good, but I do think they got really big,' he said. 'And not only from the number of planes, but the size of their planes, which kind of force them into hubs and force them to compete wing tip-to-wing tip with the big incumbent carriers.' He added that the rise of basic economy allowed legacy carriers like American, Delta, and United to compete more effectively with ultra-low-cos
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
FAA caps flights at Newark Airport to cut delays through 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration finalized new air traffic restrictions at Newark Liberty International Airport, saying that arrivals and departures would be limited to 34 each per hour through Oct. 25, 2025. Arrivals and departures at EWR will be further reduced on weekends from Sept. 1 through the end of the year to accommodate airport construction. The FAA previously signaled it was planning to reduce traffic at Newark in response to weeks of delays caused by equipment outages and staffing issues that hampered the airport's capacity. "The confirmed reduced rates will maintain safety while alleviating excessive flight delays at the airport due to staffing and equipment challenges. The early completion of runway construction at the airport that added to the delays will also contribute to a more efficient operation," the FAA said in a statement. "Working with airlines and the airport, the limited arrival rate already paid dividends over the Memorial Day holiday with smooth travel into and out of Newark." United Airlines, which operates a major hub at Newark, touted the airport's on-time rate over the previous week. "Newark (EWR) is the most reliable airport in the New York City area this week," the airline said in a statement. United noted that 79% of its departures from Newark were on time between June 2 and June 5, while 88% of arrivals landed at Newark on time, and 90% of the airline's flights departing Newark arrived at their destinations on time. At a press conference announcing the early completion of a runway reconstruction project at the airport, alongside Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, United CEO Scott Kirby said that travelers in and out of Newark will be able to take advantage of great airfare deals this summer. "We did get well behind on bookings because of the perception issues around Newark recently, so that means more seats are available, which means the fares are better than they're probably going to ever be in the years to come, so now's the time to book your vacation if you want to go to Europe or you want to head across the country," he said. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Newark flight? FAA reduces traffic to improve on-time performance
USA Today
06-06-2025
- USA Today
FAA caps flights at Newark Airport to cut delays through 2025
FAA caps flights at Newark Airport to cut delays through 2025 Show Caption Hide Caption How Newark airport issues could affect your summer travel plans Summer flyers beware: Newark airport delays and what to expect The Federal Aviation Administration finalized new air traffic restrictions at Newark Liberty International Airport, saying that arrivals and departures would be limited to 34 each per hour through Oct. 25, 2025. Arrivals and departures at EWR will be further reduced on weekends from Sept. 1 through the end of the year to accommodate airport construction. The FAA previously signaled it was planning to reduce traffic at Newark in response to weeks of delays caused by equipment outages and staffing issues that hampered the airport's capacity. "The confirmed reduced rates will maintain safety while alleviating excessive flight delays at the airport due to staffing and equipment challenges. The early completion of runway construction at the airport that added to the delays will also contribute to a more efficient operation," the FAA said in a statement. "Working with airlines and the airport, the limited arrival rate already paid dividends over the Memorial Day holiday with smooth travel into and out of Newark." United Airlines, which operates a major hub at Newark, touted the airport's on-time rate over the previous week. "Newark (EWR) is the most reliable airport in the New York City area this week," the airline said in a statement. United noted that 79% of its departures from Newark were on time between June 2 and June 5, while 88% of arrivals landed at Newark on time, and 90% of the airline's flights departing Newark arrived at their destinations on time. At a press conference announcing the early completion of a runway reconstruction project at the airport, alongside Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, United CEO Scott Kirby said that travelers in and out of Newark will be able to take advantage of great airfare deals this summer. "We did get well behind on bookings because of the perception issues around Newark recently, so that means more seats are available, which means the fares are better than they're probably going to ever be in the years to come, so now's the time to book your vacation if you want to go to Europe or you want to head across the country," he said. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@
