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Communicators

Axios Communicators

A timeline that outlines United Airlines' communications following the FAA emergency order from Nov. 5 to Nov. 11, 2025. Key events include flight reduction announcements, customer emails, social media updates, and a PR campaign. The FAA issued the reduction order on Nov. 6 and rescinded it on Nov. 11.

United's communication timeline following FAA emergency order

Data: Axios research; Chart: Axios Visuals

This month's government shutdown created a ripple effect across the private sector, with the airline industry being among the most impacted.

Why it matters: It was a make or break communications moment for airlines leading into the busiest travel period of the year.

Catch up quick: On Nov. 5, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that flight schedules would be reduced due to the government shutdown and strain on FAA employees, many of whom were working without pay.

The FAA cut 3%-6% of all air traffic across 40 of America's busiest airports, impacting thousands of travelers.

The big picture: While airlines were not the root cause of the disruptions, their reputations were at stake, meaning the communications around these operational changes needed to be intentional, clear and shared far and wide.

Zoom in: United did this by using various levers within direct channels, mainstream news and social media. 

Direct communications were led by United CEO Scott Kirby who, following the FAA order, communicated with employees first.

Following the enterprise-level note, the communications team then branched off with more tailored communications for pilots, flight attendants, gate agents and customer service representatives. These communications shared the most critical information they needed to know in real time in order to do their jobs. 

"Our ability to get that all out the door in a timely way was a direct result of our CEOs active participation in that process," says Steven Restivo, vice president, global corporate communications at United Airlines. 

Brand and executive accounts on social media launched a communications campaign on Nov. 5, following Kirby's employee note, with the goal of quickly sharing the operational updates with customers.

A wide-reaching media push went into effect on Nov. 6, as a way to create surround sound for the direct channels. 

United deployed chief customer officer David Kinzelman across major broadcast networks, digital and creator platforms — speaking to everyone from NPR to The Points Guy. 

There was also a local media push in the markets that served United's seven domestic hubs — Newark; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Denver; Houston; San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

"We worked with our operational leaders in each of those hubs, and they essentially held a mini press gaggles on [Nov. 6] afternoon," says Restivo. "It was an opportunity to put a human face on our recovery plan ... and that local, personal approach also played to our benefit in reaching travelers."

Of note: This all happened before the emergency order took effect on Nov. 7.

Once the order was in effect, the government affairs team maintained direct communications with government officials and regulatory bodies let them know the airline was complying.  

Plus, Josh Earnest, United Airlines executive vice president of communications and advertising, sent direct communications to a select distribution list — which included business leaders, airline partners, journalists and influencers, among others — with updates.

State of play: Airline executives had about 24 hours advance notice of the forthcoming FAA order, which allowed them to quickly map out a response.

"Nothing that we did or said, nor the timeliness in which we did it and said it, would have happened without the active participation and management of our CEO," says Restivo.

"Him rolling up his sleeves and being in the trenches with the team on [Nov. 5] helped not only set the course for our operational strategy and our communication strategy, but it also set the tone for how we were going to try to show up in the days ahead."

In response, the airline created a website that listed all cancelled flights following the FAA emergency order and disclosed the terms of its refund policy.

The site was updated on a rolling three-day basis and provided forecasting for the types of flights that could be impacted in the days ahead.

This site served as the central source of truth for fliers and employees alike.

A line chart that tracks United Airlines' reputation score from November 2020 to November 2025. Scores range from a low of 66.5 in July 2024 to a high of 73.6 in November 2025. The score fluctuates moderately, showing a gradual upward trend toward the end of the period.

United Airlines' reputation score

Data: Morning Consult; Note: Reputation scores are a composite of favorability, trust, perceived value, employer rating and community impact scores; Chart: Axios Visuals

By the numbers: According to Morning Consult data, United has maintained a stable reputation score since 2021,  averaging around 69 out of 100.

The airline saw the biggest jump on reputation performance this month, in the wake of the government shut down, indicating very favorable public sentiment.

The airline's net promoter score (NPS) — a customer loyalty and satisfaction metric — remained strong throughout the month of November.

In fact, 7 of the 10 highest NPS days of the year have been in the wake of the shutdown.

"That's a direct reflection of our people and the way they went about communicating with and treating customers during a disruptive stretch of time," says Restivo.

What's next: The busiest travel week of the year is upon us, and United expects to service about 6.6 million fliers from Nov. 20 to Dec. 2.

This is about 300,000 more people than in 2024, which was the busiest Thanksgiving holiday to date, says the airline.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving remains the busiest travel day, followed by Saturday, Nov. 29 and Monday, Dec. 1.

Where the FAA is cutting flights because of the shutdown

United Airlines' proactive communications push amid government shutdown orders

It was a make it or break it communications moment for airlines leading into the busiest travel period of the year.

A timeline that outlines United Airlines' communications following the FAA emergency order from Nov. 5 to Nov. 11. Key events include flight reduction announcements, customer emails, social media updates, and a PR campaign. The FAA issued the reduction order on Nov. 6 and rescinded it on Nov. 11. 

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This month&#x27;s government shutdown created a ripple effect across the private sector, with the airline industry being among the most impacted.Why it matters: It was a make or break communications moment for airlines leading into the busiest travel period of the year.

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United Airlines' proactive communications push amid government shutdown orders

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