- Demand for business travel is "growing," United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told CNBC on Tuesday.
- Revenue continues to rise due to strong demand and capacity constraints, he said.
- Kirby said he doesn't see a recession in airline data, but expects "some Fed-driven tapering."
© CNBC United Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner landing at London Heathrow International Airport , England, United Kingdom.United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told CNBC on Tuesday that demand for business travel is "up," but revenue continues to grow due to strong demand and capacity constraints.
Major companies, many in the technology sector, have announced plans to cut costs, such as layoffs or even downsizing. San Francisco is one of United's main hubs, along with bases in Newark, New Jersey, Houston, Washington, and Chicago.
"It looks like it's a business trip, and while our overall revenue continues to grow, it may exhibit pre-crisis behavior," Kirby told CNBC's Squawk Box.
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Kirby said he doesn't see a recession in airline data, but expects "some Fed-driven tapering."
"If I'm not watching CNBC in the morning ... the word 'recession' won't be in my vocabulary, I'm just looking at our data," he said.
In October, United forecast additional revenue for the final three months of the year due to strong demand. Meanwhile, a lack of affordable aircraft and trained pilots has driven up airfares in the industry, helping airlines make a comeback.
United's Kirby reiterated that the hybrid business model is changing travel patterns, allowing workers who "always have a lot of income" to travel because they're "not tied to their desks."
Retailers and tour operators are grappling with consumer spending this holiday season as households search for everything from accommodation to groceries. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said Tuesday that consumers are spending on travel because they can't travel during the pandemic. "They're spending that money because it's a priority," Squawk Box said.