The airline confirmed Kirby flew from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to Denver, Colorado, on Wednesday, and that the company did not pay for his flight. Teterboro is about 17 miles from Newark, New Jersey, where one of United’s largest hubs is located and which was the center of the airline’s meltdown this week. In a statement, Kirby said he regrets that his actions distracted from the professionalism of United employees.
On Friday as of the evening, United had 979 flight delays, or 34% of its operations, and 234 canceled flights, according to FlightAware. Kirby blamed much of the problems with the airline’s service meltdown on the Federal Aviation Administration and a lack of adequate staffing at air traffic control centers, particularly in the New York area. “The FAA frankly failed us this weekend,” said Kirby in an internal company memo to United staff shared with CNN on Wednesday.