Scott Kirby Wants United To Be America’s Emirates Or Singapore Airlines

Credit: Konstantin von Wedelstaedt | Wikimedia Commons | Simple Flying Published Oct 30, 2026, 12:33 PM EDT Louis is a military historian and the staff writer for History of War magazine, a leading military history monthly. He also has an interest in private and commercial aviation. Sign in to your Simple Flying account Last week, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby met with Dallas Morning News for an exclusive interview at United's new Terminal B at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). He told reporter Jordan Parker that he wants United to become a brand that all Americans are proud of. He compared this ambition to the status that carriers like Emirates and Singapore Airlines have in their local communities. Kirby has this ambition because he is unsatisfied with sharing flag-carrier status with America's two other legacy airlines. Yet, he sees plenty of room for improvement before United reaches this height. Kirby Wants United To Be The Best Ever Airline This interview was a compelling statement of intent for United to become America's undisputed flag carrier, rising above Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. Kirby said that United is the world's best airline "in totality", with dreams of upgrading this status to being the "best airline in the history of aviation." Kirby isn't looking to other US carriers for a pathway to this goal, but to airlines in Asia and the Middle East. He said that these carriers consistently outperform the best that America can offer. Kirby said: “I like to be the best at everything. If you go to Dubai, people that live in Dubai are proud of Emirates. If you go to Singapore, people [who] live in Singapore are proud of Singapore. I'd like to create a brand in the United States that Americans broadly feel that way about.” Simple Flying has contacted United's press office for further comment. Kirby Acknowledges Room For Improvement Kirby also used this exclusive interview to define where United must improve if it ever becomes America's flag carrier. Firstly, the airline has no presence at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Kirby recognized that next year's partnership with JetBlue will help to amend this situation, but won't go as far as he would like. The table below uses data Simple Flying has procured from Cirium to display United's five busiest hubs in 2026 out of the almost 1.9 million flights scheduled: Airport Number of flights in 2026 Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) 250,306 Denver International Airport (DEN) 194,200 Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) 176,734 Newark Liberty International (EWR) 141,087 San Francisco International Airport (SFO) 104,442 Another area where United is weak is South America, where American Airlines dominates the market. He's not optimistic about a rapid solution, but thinks it would provide an essential additional option for passengers flying south from American's Miami International Airport (MIA) gateway. A Merger With American Airlines Could Be The Pathway To Flag Carrier Status An unlikely path for United to become America's flag carrier is a merger with American Airlines, one of its key competitors. A merged carrier would control 40% of the US aviation industry's market share. Kirby conceived this idea earlier in 2026. American Airlines quickly shut it down, arguing that the merger would harm competition for US consumers. According to Kirby, the two carriers had been in conversations with American Airlines, which was skeptical but did not refuse to explore the idea. Kirby told Dallas Morning News that he was disappointed and surprised by American Airlines' public statement. Yet, American Airlines has disputed Kirby's claims in a statement. It is unsurprising that Kirby is frustrated, given that he dedicated significant time to communicating his vision and had scheduled to make it public days before American Airlines' statement. Whatever is true about American Airlines' interest in Kirby's scheme, it is even more inconceivable that it will occur now. Kirby is now looking to a back-to-basics approach to making United an industry leader, primarily by improving profit margins and revenues. Additional cash flow is essential for any airline that will remain stable through the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.