United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby dismisses Delta’s Pacific expansion

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has dismissed Delta Air Lines’ expansion into Pacific markets, characterizing the new routes as ‘low yield and half empty.’ During a Q&A session with pilots, Kirby asserted that United maintains a dominant position in the region, stating, ‘We are 5x bigger than DAL in the Pacific.’ He identified San Francisco (SFO) as the premier gateway for transpacific travel and suggested that Delta lacks the appropriate aircraft for these markets.

Delta is currently pursuing growth in the Pacific, including new services from Los Angeles to Hong Kong and Manila, as well as Seattle to Tokyo Narita. Delta President Peter Carter responded to the competitive tension by noting that the airline must remain ‘hungry to win’ while acknowledging United as a competitor.

While United holds a significantly larger transpacific network, analysts note that Delta’s incremental expansion into specific markets could still impact regional profitability or force pricing adjustments, regardless of United’s current scale.