United CEO thanks employees for ‘coming together’ during government shutdown

In a letter to United Airlines (UAL) employees, CEO Scott Kirby said, “I am writing to thank you for your extraordinary performance over the last several days. Last week’s FAA directive to cut flights during the government shutdown, which we supported, came without much notice and our team sprang into action – by the end of the day Thursday we had already cut hundreds of flights scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And many of you worked through the weekend as we planned additional cuts for this week. We acted quickly and strategically, while keeping safety a top priority. And we gave our customers as much notice and flexibility as possible knowing the circumstances were ever-changing. We decided early on to focus on doing what’s right for customers and crews without worrying about the expense or short-term financial impact… And here’s the proof: while this weekend had more FAA staffing triggers than any day in history – Saturday alone saw more than 7,500 industry delays nationwide – the past week also produced our fourth, fifth and sixth highest NPS days of the entire year and among the top 25 NPS days since 2022! It’s extraordinary that some of our best NPS days *of the past four years* came during one of the most operationally disruptive weeks of 2025. It’s clear that the way that you have come together to take care of our customers has made an impact and is a genuine reflection of Good Leads The Way. Thank you for all you’ve done during the longest government shutdown in history to take care of our customers and one another.”