1 dzień temu
MIAMI- American Airlines (AA) CEO Robert Isom directly challenged United Airlines (UA) CEO Scott Kirby’s ongoing criticism Tuesday (March 11, 2025), breaking his previous pattern of non-response during a day when airline industry expectations declined broadly.
Kirby has repeatedly claimed United has achieved premier airline status while American has fallen short. He reinforced this perspective at Tuesday morning’s JP Morgan investor conference, speaking just before Isom, Forbes reported.
Photo: Scott Kirby LinkedIn PageAmerican CEO Hits United CEO
Kirby emphasized United’s dominance at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and highlighted that all seven United hubs operate profitably, contrasting with competitors who maintain unprofitable hubs.
When JP Morgan analyst Jamie Baker questioned whether Isom would address Kirby’s persistent disparagement, Isom finally responded affirmatively.
“I worked for Scott and with Scott for a long time,” Isom stated. “I’ve seen him be right on a lot of stuff. He’s a brilliant man.” Isom then added firmly, “I’ve seen him wrong on a lot of stuff. In this case, he’s dead wrong.”
Isom acknowledged American faced greater challenges entering the pandemic and experienced significant constraints afterward. “Certainly, we were hamstrung on the way out. We had 250 aircraft we couldn’t fly because of our regional shortfall,” he explained, referencing the pilot shortage that prevented regional jet operations.
“Scott says this kind of stuff I’m sure because he would like nothing better than to not have American Airlines as a competitor,” Isom asserted.
Defending American’s position, Isom emphasized, “We’re a premium product competitor.” He cited American’s strengths including “a great fleet,” expanded Dallas and Charlotte operations creating “an incredible Sunbelt position,” and a trans-Pacific partnership with JAL. Isom concluded definitively, “American’s not going anywhere.”
ALSO READ: American Airlines CEO Robert Isom Salary and Compensation
Photo: Robert IsomWork Together for Decades
Robert Isom and Scott Kirby share a long professional history dating back to America West Airlines, where Isom joined in 1995 and Kirby followed in 1996. After two mergers, the America West management team ultimately took control at American Airlines, positioning Kirby as president and Isom as chief operating officer and executive vice president.
Tensions in American’s executive suite led to Kirby’s departure in 2016, with Isom assuming the president role. Kirby subsequently joined United Airlines as president before advancing to CEO, where he has successfully transformed United into Delta’s primary competitor, clearly outperforming American.
“Robert punched back at Kirby: it was good to see,” said Dennis Tajer, Allied Pilots Association spokesman representing American pilots. “Kirby has definitely built a mammoth network at United but it was good to see Isom punch back. We like to see a good competitive fight. That’s what we’re about.”
Airline stocks have declined in 2025 despite strong performance in 2024. American shares dropped 8% Tuesday and have fallen 33% year-to-date. The decline followed American’s reduced first quarter guidance, projecting a loss between 60 and 80 cents per share instead of the previously forecasted 20 to 40 cents, with flat revenue replacing earlier projections of 3% to 5% growth.
During the conference call, Isom attributed American’s reduced guidance primarily to challenges at National Airport, historically a profit center for both American and predecessor US Airways. The crash of American Flight 5342 on January 29 “had a real impact on this first quarter,” Isom explained.
He cited additional factors including economic uncertainty, Los Angeles wildfires, southern winter weather disruptions, and “domestic weakness in March” as “the primary reasons behind our adjustments in revenue.”
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United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby Salary and Compensation
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