United CEO enrages Musk, Larry Elder and social media for viral diverse hiring comments: 'This is messed up'

The CEO of United Airlines faced intense social media backlash after a resurfaced video showed him boasting about the company's diversity initiatives, which require higher numbers of women and minority workers. 

During an interview with Axios on HBO in June 2021, CEO Scott Kirby said the company has committed to ensuring 50% of their graduating pilot classes will be women or people of color, up from 19% in 2023.  

"White males don't just dominate in the cockpits but also in the C-suite at United Airlines," the Axios interviewer asserted.

Kirby replied that he was proud of the diversity across the company, including diversity among the United's most important senior executives.

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The CEO of United Airlines, Scott Kirby, discussed the company's diversity initiatives on HBO.  (HBO/Screenshot)

The interview noted that out of 11 executives, three are women and one is a person of color. 

"That's a low bar. How do you raise your own bar?" Axios asked.

"Well, a lot of this is, you know, focusing on it. We have programs, too. One of the things we do is for every job, when we do an interview, we require women and people of color to be involved in the interview process, bringing people in early in their careers as well and giving them those opportunities, uh, and creating a stronger bench," Kirby said.

The now-viral interview led to a significant uproar on social media. 

"This is messed up," X owner Elon Musk tweeted on the social media platform.

Popular finance news account Wall Street Silver wrote that people need to "think twice" about flying United and that, as an airline, the top priority of their hiring should be safety.

"Anyone who thinks DEI (racism) should play any role in hiring, that person needs to be removed from the process." Wall Street Silver added. "The board of directors should terminate the CEO immediately and focus on safety and only safety."

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS / USA - March 10, 2018: A United Airlines passenger aircraft - Boeing 777 - arriving at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on a sunny morning. (iStock)

"INSANITY!!!" radio host and former California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder chimed in. 

"He can always set a good example and resign immediately, leaving his high-paid position, salary, bonuses and stock options to someone more diverse," Center for Security Policy Senior Analyst J Michael Waller tweeted.

United Airlines did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment. 

The push for diversity in aviation has also extended to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is overseen by Secretary Pete Buttigieg's Department of Transportation and employs roughly 45,000 people.

It was recently revealed that the FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer "severe intellectual" disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency's website.

The initiative is part of the FAA's "Diversity and Inclusion" hiring plan, which says "diversity is integral to achieving FAA's mission of ensuring safe and efficient travel across our nation and beyond." The FAA's website shows the agency's guidelines on diversity hiring were last updated on March 23, 2022.

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A Federal Aviation Administration sign hangs in the tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport, March 16, 2017, in New York. On Nov. 15, 2023, aviation experts who examined the FAA's safety record said the agency needs better staffing, equipment and technology to cope with a surge in the most serious close calls between planes. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

When asked for comment on the initiative, including what roles people with disabilities would fulfill, the FAA told Fox News Digital that the agency thoroughly seeks and vets qualified candidates "from as many sources as possible" for a range of positions.

"The FAA employs tens of thousands of people for a wide range of positions, from administrative roles to oversight and execution of critical safety functions. Like many large employers, the agency proactively seeks qualified candidates from as many sources as possible, all of whom must meet rigorous qualifications that of course will vary by position," the FAA said.

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The FAA, which is overseen by Secretary Pete Buttigieg's Department of Transportation, is a government agency charged with regulating civil aviation and employs roughly 45,000 people.

Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.