What United Resignations Say About The Airline And The Industry

03:32

September 09, 2015

A United Airlines plane sits on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport on January 23, 2014 in San Francisco, California. United Airlines parent company United Continental Holdings reported a surge in fourth quarter profits with earnings of $140 million compared to a loss of $620 million one year ago. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The chief executive and two senior officials resigned yesterday from United Airlines, amid a federal investigation into whether the airline gave favors to the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

United began a direct flight between Newark, New Jersey, and Columbia, South Carolina, where the former head of the Port Authority, David Samson, has a vacation home. The route began while he was chairman and ended after he resigned last year. At the same time, United was in negotiations with the Port Authority over airport projects.

Maggie Lake of CNN discusses what the resignations say about United and the airline industry as a whole with Here & Now's Robin Young.

Guest

Maggie Lake, business anchor and correspondent for CNN International. She tweets @maggielake.

This segment aired on September 9, 2015.