{"id":111596,"date":"2025-09-09T00:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=111596"},"modified":"2025-09-09T00:06:03","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T18:36:03","slug":"united-ceo-plans-to-kick-american-airlines-from-its-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/09\/united-ceo-plans-to-kick-american-airlines-from-its-hub\/","title":{"rendered":"United CEO Tells Pilots That He Plans to Kick Out American Airlines From its Hub"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>CHICAGO-<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/united-airlines\/\">United Airlines (UA)<\/a> CEO Scott Kirby told pilots that <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/american-airlines\/\">American Airlines (AA)<\/a> could eventually be forced to reduce its hub operations at Chicago O\u2019Hare International Airport (ORD). The plan comes as United Airlines prepares to surge to 600 daily departures from the airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>American Airlines\u2019 position in Chicago has weakened in recent years, while United has aggressively expanded its fleet, network, and gate access. Kirby suggested these dynamics could leave American unable to sustain a full hub presence at O\u2019Hare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fce0b0ys-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"United CEO Tells Pilots That He Plans to Kick Out American Airlines From its Hub\" class=\"wp-image-95365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fce0b0ys-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fce0b0ys-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fce0b0ys-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fce0b0ys-50x28.webp 50w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fce0b0ys-1600x900.webp 1600w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fce0b0ys-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fce0b0ys-150x84.webp 150w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fce0b0ys-450x253.webp 450w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fce0b0ys-1200x675.webp 1200w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fce0b0ys.webp 2047w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Aero Icarus | Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-united-airlines-expansion-plans\">United Airlines Expansion Plans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kirby\u2019s comments were first highlighted by aviation watchdog JonNYC, who shared a recap of a recent pilot standards meeting at United\u2019s Flight Training Center in <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?s=Denver\">Denver (DEN)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While some flight count projections had already been met, United confirmed its ambitious growth trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ejF7UnAXjh\">https:\/\/t.co\/ejF7UnAXjh<\/a><br><br>\u201cRecap of Kirby and team comments from a standards meeting last week at the Flight Training Center. <br><br>A lot seems accurate, though the flight count plans for ORD and DEN were already reached next year.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ejF7UnAXjh\">https:\/\/t.co\/ejF7UnAXjh<\/a><\/p>&mdash; JonNYC (@xJonNYC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/xJonNYC\/status\/1964838562806866182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 7, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>United expects more than 100 new aircraft deliveries in 2026, with the Airbus A321XLR enabling expanded European service by late 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The airline will also hire at least 2,400 new pilots that year. However, hiring is being accelerated earlier than planned because hotel shortages near the Denver training center prevent a large influx of trainees later in the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?s=Chicago\">Chicago O\u2019Hare (ORD)<\/a> will grow into United\u2019s busiest hub, surpassing even Denver (DEN) and Houston (IAH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With 600 daily departures, United will strengthen its dominance and, according to Kirby, siphon more business away from American Airlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/syhspsfa-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"United Airlines Boeing 757\" class=\"wp-image-79968\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/syhspsfa-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/syhspsfa-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/syhspsfa-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/syhspsfa-50x28.webp 50w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/syhspsfa-1600x900.webp 1600w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/syhspsfa-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/syhspsfa-150x84.webp 150w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/syhspsfa-450x253.webp 450w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/syhspsfa-1200x675.webp 1200w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/syhspsfa.webp 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Cl\u00e9ment Alloing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fleet-modernization-and-deployment\">Fleet Modernization and Deployment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>United\u2019s fleet expansion extends across multiple hubs. New Boeing 787s will be based at Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), and Newark (EWR). Some San Francisco 777s will be reassigned to Newark (EWR) and Washington Dulles (IAD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The airline plans to keep <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/boeing-767\/\">Boeing 767-300s<\/a> in service until the early 2030s, extending their lifecycle with additional heavy maintenance checks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The carrier also confirmed major strategic shifts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>United will no longer be the launch customer for the <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/boeing-737-max-10\/\">Boeing 737 MAX 10<\/a>, converting orders to the MAX 9 due to certification delays.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Washington Dulles (IAD) will double its international capacity with new gates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>United will not pursue mergers or acquire used aircraft, but is actively pursuing slots and gates at major airports. These efforts include acquiring New York JFK (JFK) slots from JetBlue to support up to 20 daily flights, and potentially bidding on Spirit Airlines assets should they become available.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A key decision is due by the end of 2025 on a replacement for the Boeing 777 fleet. The Airbus A350 remains an option, though delivery timelines have been pushed far into the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>United\u2019s A350 order history reflects shifting strategies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>2009: Ordered 25 A350-900s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2013: Converted to 35 A350-1000s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2017: Converted again to 45 A350-900s.<br>Deliveries are now deferred until 2030 and beyond.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gdqjf12c-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"American Airlines Chicago\" class=\"wp-image-92851\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gdqjf12c-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gdqjf12c-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gdqjf12c-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gdqjf12c-50x28.webp 50w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gdqjf12c-1600x900.webp 1600w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gdqjf12c-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gdqjf12c-150x84.webp 150w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gdqjf12c-450x253.webp 450w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gdqjf12c-1200x675.webp 1200w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gdqjf12c.webp 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: James Cridland | Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-american-s-weakening-position\">American\u2019s Weakening Position<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>American Airlines has scaled back in Chicago over the last five years, rebuilding more slowly than United after the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It reduced international service and retired widebody aircraft like the Airbus A330 and Boeing 767.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Delays in <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/boeing-787-dreamliner\/\">Boeing 787<\/a> deliveries further limited long-haul options. At the same time, removing premium seats cut into the airline\u2019s ability to compete for high-value business travelers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Revenue trends confirm the erosion of its premium base. Between 2012 and 2016, revenue from frequent flyers dropped sharply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2012, 50% of revenue came from just 13% of flyers, but by 2016, 45% of revenue required contributions from 38% of customers. This shift forced American to rely more on low-fare passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Management decisions also played a role. Under US Airways leadership, including Scott Kirby when he served as American\u2019s President, the airline devalued its AAdvantage loyalty program and prioritized competing with ultra low cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a high cost legacy airline, this approach proved unsustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/image-84.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-57214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/image-84.png 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/image-84-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/image-84-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/image-84-750x500.png 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Dylan T | Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-gate-allocation-and-market-impact\">Gate Allocation and Market Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>United\u2019s growth at O\u2019Hare is reinforced by gate availability. The city of Chicago has reallocated gates away from American to United, despite American\u2019s objections that such moves violate its lease agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This expansion of United\u2019s footprint gives it a structural advantage in maintaining higher flight volumes and connectivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For consumers, the implications are significant. As American\u2019s role diminishes, competition at O\u2019Hare could weaken, leading to higher fares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kirby himself suggested that American may be forced to \u201cde-hub\u201d ORD. Importantly, de-hubbing does not mean American would abandon Chicago, but rather scale back operations to reduce financial losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/5kiizcl1-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby\" class=\"wp-image-72032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/5kiizcl1-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/5kiizcl1-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/5kiizcl1-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/5kiizcl1-50x28.webp 50w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/5kiizcl1-1600x900.webp 1600w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/5kiizcl1-1536x864.webp 1536w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/5kiizcl1-150x84.webp 150w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/5kiizcl1-450x253.webp 450w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/5kiizcl1-1200x675.webp 1200w, https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/5kiizcl1.webp 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Scott Kirby LinkedIn Page<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-united-ceo-s-bold-predictions\">United CEO&#8217;s Bold Predictions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/tag\/united-ceo\/\">United CEO Kirby<\/a> has a history of bold statements, including his claim that the ultra low cost carrier business model is \u201cdead.\u201d He frequently contrasts United\u2019s performance with that of American, his former employer, often in mocking terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His latest forecast underscores the competitive pressure American faces as United cements its lead in Chicago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The long-term question is whether United can sustain margins as it grows capacity and expands internationally, especially if economic conditions tighten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What is clear is that United\u2019s Chicago strategy gives it a built-in advantage, one that continues to grow as its rival struggles to keep pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join us on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/s\/aviationa2z\" rel=\"nofollow\">Telegram Group\u00a0<\/a>for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMPLdrgsw_-jGAw?hl=en-IN&amp;gl=IN&amp;ceid=IN%3Aen\">Google News<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-aviation-a-2-z wp-block-embed-aviation-a-2-z\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"uR0HnHbgAc\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/23\/american-airlines-ceo-hits-back-at-united-scott-kirbys-criticism\/\">American Airlines CEO Hits Back at United Scott Kirby&#8217;s Criticism<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;American Airlines CEO Hits Back at United Scott Kirby&#8217;s Criticism&#8221; &#8212; Aviation A2Z\" src=\"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/23\/american-airlines-ceo-hits-back-at-united-scott-kirbys-criticism\/embed\/#?secret=zWPA6iQRbT#?secret=uR0HnHbgAc\" data-secret=\"uR0HnHbgAc\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>United Airlines (UA) CEO Scott Kirby told pilots that American Airlines (AA) could eventually be forced to reduce its hub operations at Chicago O\u2019Hare International Airport (ORD).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":95365,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6761,7308,7307],"tags":[392,124,2580,393,16902,1790,178,6201],"class_list":{"0":"post-111596","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-us-airlines-news","9":"category-usa-aviation-news","10":"tag-airlines-news","11":"tag-american-airlines","12":"tag-american-airlines-news","13":"tag-aviation-news","14":"tag-chicago-ohare-airport","15":"tag-competition","16":"tag-united-airlines","17":"tag-united-airlines-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/147"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111596"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111596\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111630,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111596\/revisions\/111630"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}