A message from our CEO, Scott Kirby
United is an airline where Good Leads the Way.
Doing the right thing for our customers, employees, communities and planet makes us a business where people choose to work and travelers choose to fly.
I often say that I have the easiest job of anyone at United because I only have one responsibility – make our employees proud. When our employees are proud of our airline, they create a best-in-class customer experience. And that experience makes customers proud to fly United.
Investing in Our Future
The pandemic gave us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the way we run our airline because we realized we can no longer succeed by running our airline like it is 2019. Instead of solely focusing on managing our business in reaction to near-term pressures, we are devoted to a long-term strategy. Our long-view philosophy has already benefitted our employees and customers and it is something we plan to continue moving forward. As part of that long-term focus, our aim is to provide our customers, employees, investors and all of our stakeholders with more transparency about our impact.
Supporting Customers
Last year, we entered our United Next growth phase, which required a new focus on building the infrastructure to support what we believe will be the largest growth that any airline has attempted in the history of aviation. In the next decade we plan to add approximately 700 new, fuel-efficient aircraft to our fleet, offering our customers an improved inflight experience with our signature interiors. Last year we also made significant improvements in our operational performance that set records.
Our People
We opened the United Aviate Academy, with a goal that at least half of the people we train are women or people of color, launched Calibrate, a 36-month apprenticeship program to grow and diversify our pipeline of aircraft technicians, and announced a new collaboration with OneTen, a coalition committed to creating one million family-sustaining careers for Black talent with opportunities for advancement over the next 10 years.
Safety
Safety remains at the center of everything we do at United and we continue to maintain the highest standards. Every single employee understands that safety is a shared responsibility, no matter their job. At United there are no small roles in safety.
Sustainability
We are working to build the future of sustainable flight with our net zero commitment to reduce 100% of our greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 without relying on the use of traditional carbon offsets. We lead among all US carriers in sustainable aviation fuel production investment and have invested in the largest volume of SAF production among all airlines, based on publicly announced airline offtake agreements for future SAF purchases. In 2022, we signed a purchase agreement for the right to buy up to 52.5 million gallons of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™. SAF is critical to our environmental goals but we also look forward to its potential to reduce the price volatility of fuel and contribute to energy security here in the United States. We also continue to invest in new technology to decarbonize air travel, including carbon capture and utilization and electric aircraft.
Good Leads the Way
At United, we refused to use the pandemic, the most disruptive crisis in our history, as an excuse. Instead, we have capitalized on opportunities to lead our industry by simply doing the right thing. We’re committed to being a force for good – for our customers and the communities we serve. As I travel our global network, the response I receive from our customers, our colleagues and partners tells me we’re heading on the right flight path, but there is still much to do to reach our destination; we must continue to lead the way.
Scott Kirby
CEO, United
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