Having taken over the role of CEO at United Airlines (United) in September 2015, Oscar Munoz is to become Chairman of the Board of Directors and current President, J. Scott Kirby will take over Munoz’ role, both new positions to take effect after the shareholder’s meeting on May 20, 2020.
As CEO, Munoz has been responsible for a considerable change in the fortunes of United and only on Tuesday of this week did the carrier announce its intention to acquire 50 new Airbus A321 XLR to begin replacing its ageing fleet of Boeing 757-200s at the beginning of 2024. Kirby, a highly-regarded industry leader, has played a pivotal role in enabling United’s cultural transformation and successfully executing the company’s strategic growth plan. Kirby was recruited to United Airlines by Munoz in August 2016, after a three-decade career in the commercial airline business.
“When I joined United as CEO, I laid out ambitious goals to build a new spirit of United by regaining the trust of our employees and customers – and I’m proud of how far we’ve come. Along with the successful implementation of the plan our team laid out in January 2018, United’s operational and financial performance isn’t just better – it’s better than ever. By instilling a culture of ‘proof, not promise,’ we have transformed United even faster than we expected and there’s an incredible sense of excitement about the future,” Munoz commented.
“I am honored to be named the next CEO of United and to succeed Oscar, whose leadership has been truly transformational for United Airlines,” Kirby said. “I look forward to working with Oscar, the Board, our established leadership team and every United employee as we drive forward our proven strategy and focus on being the airline customers choose to fly and return to time and again.”
