United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby attended a “candlelight dinner” with President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Sunday evening after United Airlines donated $1 million to Trump’s Inaugural Fund.
United Airlines CEO Attends Candlelight Dinner With President, Is Optimistic About The Future Of The Trump Administration
In an Instagram post, Kirby posted a picture at the dinner with his wife Kathleen along with the caption:
Kathleen and I were proud to attend this weekend’s Inaugural events in our Nation’s Capital.
I believe that the USA is the greatest country in history and a democracy unlike any other.
As the world’s largest airline, @united looks forward to working with the new administration.
I am optimistic about the future.
How did Kirby get the invite to the dinner? It’s not that Kirby pals around with Trump like Musk, Bezos, or Zuckerberg. Instead, it appears United just bought a seat:
.@united CEO Scott Kirby will attend the VP’s reception at the NGA on Saturday and the Candlelight Dinner Sunday but is not attending the now-indoor inauguration itself. United said today they are donating $1M to Trump inaugural fund
— David Shepardson (@davidshepardson) January 17, 2025
That donation brought with it all sorts of benefits:
(Delta Air Lines also donated $1 million to the Trump inauguration)
I’m not here to condemn his attendance or point out the irony of spending $1 million on a party of oligarchs while flight attendants wait for a new contract. Because I understand that it makes good sense to kiss the ring of narcissists. It also makes sense to embrace an administration that claims to be pro-business in hopes of accelerating long-delayed upgrades to the country’s antiquated Air Traffic Control system and chronic understaffing.
Kirby doubtlessly shares the hope of Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan that the new Department of Transportation in the Trump era will be “perhaps a little less aggressive in terms of regulating or rule-making.” And Kirby also knows that his flight attendants waited too long to strike a new deal and now stand at a strategic disadvantage in an administration whose National Mediation Board (NMB) is unlikely to release flight attendants to strike.
All partisanship aside, it makes sense for any US airline to cozy up to the Administration in power. Kirby would doubtless be at the Harris Inauguration had the election turned out differently. Airline CEOs are politicians too and that is what airline CEOs do. His presence at the festivities is no surprise.
image: @scottkirby / Instagram