Oscar Munoz will step down as CEO of United Airlines next year to become Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. He will be replaced by a former president of American Airlines, Scott Kirby, effective May 2020.
In a press statement, United Airlines highlighted the impact Munoz's tenure had on the company. And Munoz himself said that the position allowed him to achieve everything he set out to do.
He said: “When I ed United as CEO, I set ambitious goals to build a new spirit for United, restoring the trust of our employees and customers. United's operating and financial performance is not just better – it's better than ever… we've transformed United even faster than we expected and there's an incredible sense of excitement for the future. ”
At the same time that the feeling is of “renewal”, Munoz avoided talking about the controversies during his term, which almost cost him his early removal from office.
And the future is something Munoz has been looking forward to for a while. In 2016, he hired J. Scott Kirby from American Airlines with the optimism that one day he could become CEO himself.
United have said Munoz and Kirby will continue to work together. Additionally, Munoz emphasized that United's current stability and distinction as an airline makes for a good time to change leadership. While that may be so, it does not explain why Munoz decided to make his ascension to the role of Executive Chairman at this time.
