United Airlines captain who posted insults about gay people women in pilots forum forced to resign
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‘If my aunt had a penis, she’d be my uncle’: United Airlines captain who posted insults about gay people and women on pilots’ forum forced to resign as union leader
- Captain Neil Swindells, the newly elected president of the United Airlines chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), has resigned from his position.
- The resignation comes after derogatory comments he made on a ‘private pilot forum’ were revealed.
- The comments were directed at various ethnic and minority groups and were brought to light by other pilots ahead of the election of Swindells, which he narrowly won.
- Despite issuing an apology, Swindells faced significant backlash, ultimately deciding that his position had become “untenable and a negative distraction”.
- In an email to United’s more than 14,000 pilots, Swindells said the controversy over his comments “does not represent who I am as a person.”
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The head of the United Airlines pilots union has resigned after he was accused of anti-Semitism, racism and homophobia following comments he made on a private forum for pilots.
Captain Neil Swindells, a Chicago-based Boeing 787 captain who has been with United for nearly three decades, was recently elected Senior Chairman of United’s Chief Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 14,000 pilots at United Airlines.
He issued an apology on Tuesday after his comments became public. Several other pilots then called for his resignation, but Swindells promised to stay.
On Wednesday he turned around and issued a statement announcing his resignation.
Captain Neil Swindells, the newly elected president of the United Airlines chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), has resigned after derogatory comments he made on a “private pilots forum” were revealed.
Other pilots brought up several offensive comments directed at various ethnic minority groups before the election of Swindells, which he narrowly won.
“There has been significant backlash to the things I posted on a pilot forum,” Swindells said in an email to members of the 14,000-member union on Wednesday.
“While many of these things have been completely taken out of context and publicly weaponized against me, I cannot ignore their existence and the damaging effect it has had on many of my fellow pilots. For that, I am very sorry and apologize unreservedly.
“It became clear that my position was untenable and a negative distraction” to ongoing contract negotiations, he wrote.
In the message to the pilots, Swindells said the controversy over his posts “does not represent who I am as a person. … I have had an impeccable record of service to the Association and the Company for over 27 years, but errors in judgment in a pilot forum may have damaged that reputation. I hope not.
An aviation blog, live and fly reported how a post made by Swindells in September 2022 read: ‘I see, continuing your gay man today. Hooray! And if my aunt had a penis, she would do it with my uncle!
Swindells, a Chicago-based Boeing 787 captain who has been with United for nearly three decades, was recently elected senior chair of the United Chief Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 14,000 pilots at United. Airlines.
The year before, he appears to have responded to a post about United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby with “Carry on your gay man today, I see.”
Another post read: ‘And I’m sure Emirates also had nothing to do with the Emirates male captain being flanked by a United female first officer, right? Each of the opticians was designed with a nod to Emirates’ codeshare dominance, while giving United its desired DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] money shot!
Other comments on the forum made by Swindells saw him insulting different ethnic groups, including gays, Jews and women, according to CBS News.
Swindells, a long-time pilot for United’s pilot, was only elected to his position as Senior Chairman of the ALPA union’s United Master Executive Council on December 19.
His predecessor, Mike Hamilton, also served in the role for less than a year before being forced to resign due to a family issue.
Swindells was elected by an executive council of the pilots’ union consisting of 19 pilots.
His comments had been found by other pilots before the election, which Swindells narrowly won.
Regarding United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, pictured, Swindells wrote ‘carrying on his gay man today’