The question of whether air travel can ever be sustainable is a thorny one. Still, Scott Kirby believes that the aviation industry can at least attempt to tackle the problem. At present, Kirby is the CEO of United Airlines, having previously served as its president. Before that, he was the president of American Airlines—and before that, was president of US Airways. As an old-school aviation veteran, Kirby carries some weight in the industry, and he’s using his influence to implement and amplify green initiatives. He helped create the United Sustainable Flight Fund, in which United has partnered with Air Canada, Hawaiian Airlines JetBlue, and other aviation partners to invest almost $200 million in sustainable aviation fuel. United also eschews carbon offsets, which Kirby sees as a bit of a shell game.
Kirby also envisions a diverse future for United. Under his leadership, his company created the United Aviate Academy, which aims to train 5,000 new pilots by 2030. Moreover, at least half of those pilots will be women or people of color. Between his eco-friendly initiatives and his social conscience, Kirby has outlined one possible path for the future of aviation. His company’s investments could help make it a reality.
