United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby issues statement addressing flight issues

Safety while traveling is a big part of planning. There are several steps that travelers should take before hitting the road for their time away. But what about those steps that are outside their control? Lately, there’s been a string of mishaps with airplanes that are increasing apprehension for some heading into a busy travel season. United Airlines took some time to address those matters in an attempt to reassure travelers that the company is doing all they can to put safety first.

Chief Executive Scott Kirby sent out a letter to the millions of travelers who use United Airlines, pushing the narrative that safety is the company’s highest priority. This comes after situations in which a panel fell from a plane’s body mid-flight and an engine of another flight caught fire. All this while other airlines are seeing door panels blow out mid-flight and making emergency landings for other reasons.

“I want you to know that these incidents have our attention and have sharpened our focus,” Kirby said in the statement. “Our team is reviewing the details of each case to understand what happened and using those insights to inform our safety training and procedures across all employee groups.”

Airline travel continues to become more of a cost burden as ticket prices rise, and airlines look for additional ways to charge customers such as increasing luggage fees. Safety issues are a big concern that can immediately cause travelers to turn away from airlines. Any reasons that can undermine customers’ confidence in an airline has a serious impact on the bottom line. Thus, these matters have become a significant issue for United to address.

“You can be confident that every time a United plane pulls away from the gate, everyone on our team is working together to keep you safe on the trip,” Kirby added in the statement.