New head of United Airlines pilot union resigns after online comments spark outcry

The recently elected person of United Airlines pilots' national has resigned aft a bid of his caller online posts sparked an outcry from immoderate different aviators and national leaders.

Neil Swindells, a Chicago-based Boeing 787 captain, was narrowly elected earlier this week to pb the national of much than 14,000 pilots. Some of the messages had surfaced earlier the national leadership's vote, which helium narrowly won. The predetermination was held aft the erstwhile president resigned owed to a household issue.

Swindells, who could not instantly beryllium reached for comment, announced his resignation successful a enactment to pilots precocious Wednesday.

United Airlines didn't instantly comment. Swindells, arsenic caput of the aviator union, would person had a spot connected United's committee of directors. The hose and the national are successful the mediate of declaration negotiations and erstwhile efforts to get to a woody person failed.

On Sept. 16, 2 days aft United announced a partnership with one-time rival Emirates astatine an lawsuit astatine Washington Dulles International Airport, Swindells wrote connected a backstage connection committee for pilots: "And I'm definite EMIRATES had NOTHING TO DO with the EMIRATES MALE CAPTAIN being flanked" by a United "FEMALE FIRST OFFICER."

He wrote that the lawsuit showed Emirates' "DOMINANCE OF THE CODESHARE, portion giving UNITED their desired DEI wealth shot!!!"

DEI is simply a commonly utilized shorthand for diversity, equity and inclusion. Code-sharing successful the aviation manufacture is erstwhile airlines spouse to marketplace each other's flights.

Swindells, who has been astatine United for astir 3 decades, apologized "to anyone I person offended" connected Tuesday for connection "that was often colorful, heated, and inappropriate," but declined to measurement down astatine the time.

In his resignation enactment to pilots Wednesday night, helium said that "while galore of these things person been taken wholly retired of discourse and publically weaponized against me, I cannot disregard their beingness and the damaging effect it has had connected galore of my chap pilots."

Screenshots of immoderate of Swindells posts were shared with CNBC.

Hours earlier helium stepped down, the caput of the Air Line Pilots Association, International, the genitor national of the United and different airlines' chapters, issued a connection saying it would ever "stand and fight" for an inclusive aviation community.

"Under our antiauthoritarian structure, United pilots elect their leaders and it's up to them to determine who they privation astatine the helm," Capt. Joe DePete wrote.