United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) CEO Scott Kirby says that the flight carrier is already seeing positive results from its deal with Elon Musk-led Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) to provide Starlink internet on its flights.
Customers Switching From Other Airlines
On Wednesday, user DogeDesigner shared a clip of Kirby’s interview with CNBC, where the CEO said that flying without Starlink was “different” than flying with the service. “We’re going to cross the 50% threshold this week, the 50% of flights on Starlink,” he said, adding that United’s entire fleet will be Starlink-enabled by the end of next year.
“We already see customers moving from other airlines today,” he said, but acknowledged that he did not know whether it would be enough to get the company to double-digit margins. Musk, quoting the user’s post, weighed in on Kirby’s comments. “Starlink moves the needle,” he said in the post.
United Airlines’ Earnings Call
During United’s earnings call on Wednesday, Kirby called Starlink a “tailwind” for the carrier and said the airline had also “launched a new tracker so people can check if their flight has it [Starlink].”
Kirby expressed bullish sentiments about the service, saying that United was on its way to “being the only global U.S. airline with Starlink at scale. A lot of new customers are going to try us. It’s a huge head start,” he added.
On oil prices, he said that the company expects oil to remain elevated through the next year. “Six to 10 U.S. airlines are going to lose money this year,” he said, warning that geopolitical situations could push oil higher next year and put pressure on airlines.
United reported quarterly earnings of $2.54 per share, which was below the market’s estimates of $2.59 per share. United’s reported $17.875 billion revenue also missed analyst consensus of $17.888 billion. Fuel expenses were up $1.8 billion YoY, driven largely by energy shocks due to the Iran war.
Elon Musk vs Delta Airlines
The comments come as Musk faced off against Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) over the flight carrier’s decision to snub Starlink and go with Amazon.com Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Leo internet service on its flights by 2028. Musk has sharply criticized the decision, warning that Delta could lose customers over the Starlink snub and that its CEO, Ed Bastian, may lose his job as well.
Musk also mocked Delta’s lack of connectivity on flights, saying that the best way to sandbox an AI model would be to put it on a Delta flight, as it would have no way to access the internet.
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