United Airlines struggled significantly with air traffic control (ATC)-related delays at its congested airport hubs last year as the Federal Aviation Administration still lacks sufficient staffing, particularly in the Northeast USA.
”Staffing at the FAA remains a challenge for the airline industry and most importantly the travelling public,” says Brett Hart, United’s president. ”In 2024, even on clear, blue-sky days, 66% of United’s delays were driven by ATC challenges in technology and staffing.”
US lawmakers have recently renewed focus on addressing ageing ATC technology and understaffing, problems that have plagued the FAA for years. That includes a renewed push to potentially decouple the country’s ATC system from the FAA, which may gain steam under Donald Trump’s second presidential term.
Trump proposed in 2017 removing ATC from the FAA and putting it under a new non-profit entity. The concept has faced opposition by Democratic lawmakers as well as some aviation groups, and received support from prominent airline industry advocacy group Airlines for America.
“We remain engaged with leaders in Washington in both parties to get the FAA resources they need,” Hart says, “and we’ll look for opportunities to work with the new Congress and new administration to achieve that goal.”
Chief executive Scott Kirby says he has recently spoken about ATC issues with Trump, who “knows a lot about airplanes; he knows a lot about the airspace, even at his level”.
He has also met with incoming Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who is “focused on fixing” issues with the resource-starved FAA as he assumes leadership of the US Department of Transportation, Kirby says.
”I think they will… get the FAA the right resources, the right technology to run effectively,” he says. “Everything else combined is not as big for airline customers as running the FAA effectively.”
Continuing a years-long leadership churn, the FAA is seeking a new permanent administrator after Michael Whitaker, who led the agency since October 2023, stepped down on 20 January – the day of Trump’s inauguration.
According to reporting by The Air Current, Chris Rocheleau – formerly chief operating officer of the National Business Aviation Association – has been sworn in as deputy administrator of the FAA, replacing acting deputy administrator Mark House. A permanent FAA leader must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the US Senate.
Meanwhile, United continues sharpening its operational efficiency. The Chicago-headquartered carrier has implemented an “enhanced process for recovering crews during irregular operation events”, Hart says, resulting in an 80% reduction of crew-related flight cancellations compared with two years ago.
“Additionally, we continued refining our aircraft turn process, focusing on key components such as aircraft cleaning time and boarding efficiency, driving improved turnaround speed and overall operational performance in 2024.”
