Senior Vice President – Alliances, International and Regulatory Affairs United Airlines
Michael G. Whitaker is senior vice president-alliances, international and regulatory affairs for United Airlines.
Whitaker is responsible for the company’s international and domestic alliances, including the Star Alliance, where he serves on the Alliance Management Board. He is also responsible for United’s regulatory policy and serves as the company’s principle contact with foreign governments. Since 1998, Whitaker has been responsible for expanding United’s international route authority, and is the company’s principle advocate for industry deregulation.
Whitaker joined United in 1994 as senior counsel-international and regulatory affairs. Prior to joining United, Whitaker held a variety of positions at Trans World Airlines, including assistant general counsel. Before entering the airline business, Whitaker was a litigation attorney with Stites & Harbison, a law firm in Louisville, Kentucky.
He holds a juris doctorate degree cum laude from Georgetown University Law School and graduated with high honors in political science from University of Louisville. He has taught courses in American government, comparative politics and international law at the University of Louisville, and international law at DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, where is a founding board member of the International Aviation Institute.
