New United Airlines CEO Says No To Bankruptcy and Mandating Blocked Middle Seats

At two previous companies, new United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby developed a reputation for bluntness, often favoring honest answers over diplomatic ones. On Thursday, speaking at his first public forum since taking over last week from Oscar Munoz, Kirby showed he wouldn't drop the act just because he now leads a Fortune 100 company. In a 50-minute discussion at the Bernstein 36th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, Kirby shared his opinions on several issues he's confronting, including onboard safety, a lack of demand, and mounting debt. Here are some of the highlights. No Bankruptcy Filing The U.S. bankruptcy process permits companies to reorganize and drop their most onerous debts and labor contracts without materially changing their models. In some other countries, including in Europe, an airline that can't pay its debts often goes out of business, forever. United capitalized on U.S. bankruptcy law in 2002, reorganizing ahead of its merger with Continental Airlines, but