Keynote speaker - Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President, Global Network Planning and Alliances, United Airlines
“Cleared for takeoff: United’s South Pacific growth”.
Patrick Quayle is senior vice president of global network planning and alliances for United. In this role, he is responsible for setting the airline’s global network strategy including capacity decisions, aircraft scheduling, fleet strategy, and the development of alliance partnerships around the world.
Under Patrick’s leadership, the network team has rapidly expanded its $50 billion route portfolio, announcing more than 80 new international routes, including first-ever service from a U.S. carrier to cities such as Cape Town, Faro, and Christchurch. In 2022, Patrick grew United into the largest transatlantic airline for the first time in the company’s nearly 100-year history.
Patrick leads the commercial strategy for the most ambitious expansion plan in the company’s history: United Next. This includes the order of more than 500 narrowbody and 250 widebody aircraft as well as the retrofit of nearly every airplane in the fleet with a world-class product. In 2023, this initiative made United the only major airline in the world to have one cohesive premium product on its entire international widebody fleet.
Lastly, Patrick has reinvigorated United’s joint venture partnerships, guiding the restart of the largest joint venture in the world with Lufthansa Group and Air Canada and introducing a new transborder joint venture in 2022. Further, he expanded United’s global footprint with innovative deals, adding new partners like Virgin Australia and Emirates.
Bringing extensive experience to United since 2017, Patrick previously served as managing director of international planning at American Airlines, where he oversaw a $12 billion international route portfolio. Patrick began his career in network planning at Continental Airlines. Patrick received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Rice University, his MBA from the University of Bath, and was named to Crain’s Chicago Business 40 under 40 in 2017.
