United Airlines (NYSE: UAL) today announced the appointment of Pete McDonald as executive vice president. In his new position, which is effective immediately, McDonald will lead all divisions responsible for Unitedå‘s operations: Maintenance and Engineering, Flight Operations, Onboard Service, System Operations Control, Airport Operations, Information Services and Safety. McDonald most recently served as the airlineå‘s senior vice president of Airport Operations.

“United’s on-time performance is excellent,” said Glenn Tilton, United’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “In fact, we have set or broken operational records nearly every month this year and we have our employees to thank for that. Pete has been leading our airport operations through this great performance and he has consistently demonstrated the ability to foster the kind of teamwork it takes to be a leader in the industry. He has the respect of his peers and of the people who work for him. In his tenure with the company, he has mastered both the complex details of our far-flung operations and demonstrated a true commitment to the people he leads.”

Tilton continued, “But make no mistake, we won`t rest on our laurels. United’s employees, under Pete’s leadership, will continue to strive to provide our customers with the industry`s best service and highest quality travel experience. With this appointment today, I’m ensuring that we all remain focused on providing the best possible service we can to our customers.”

McDonald joined United in 1969. He progressed through the company’s operations and sales organizations, running the Denver hub and overseeing the transition to Denver International Airport. McDonald also managed the company’s sales, marketing and airport operations in Southern California before moving to the company’s headquarters as vice president-Operations Services. For the last year, he has led domestic operations for the airline’s 85 airports across the United States.

United operates nearly 1,900 flights a day on a route network that spans the globe. News releases and other information about United may be found at the company’s website at www.united.com.

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