United Airlines' Merger Proposal with American: A Timeline
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby proposed a merger with American Airlines in early 2025—an idea rejected by American's leadership and met with bipartisan political opposition.
Merger Proposal and Initial Report
According to multiple reports citing people familiar with the matter, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby raised the idea of an airline merger with the administration of former President Donald Trump in 2025. Bloomberg News reported on October 28, 2025, that Kirby had floated the idea of a tie-up with American Airlines to the White House in February 2025. Reuters reported that Kirby proposed the merger directly to former President Trump during a meeting in late February 2025. Kirby had reportedly been considering a potential airline deal since fall 2024.
On October 30, 2025, Kirby spoke to reporters outside the White House alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Reactions and Rejection
American Airlines responded to the reports by stating it was not interested in a merger with United. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom stated that the combination would be "negative for competition and consumers" and inconsistent with the Trump administration's approach to antitrust enforcement. The company confirmed it had not engaged in any talks on the matter.
"The combination would be negative for competition and consumers." — American Airlines CEO Robert Isom
Former President Donald Trump said he was against the merger idea, citing competition concerns. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mike Lee launched a bipartisan probe into the potential merger, citing concerns about reduced competition and higher prices. Industry analysts and experts stated that the regulatory hurdles for such a combination would be high, as a merger between United and American would create the world's largest airline.
Official Responses
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated there was room for consolidation in the aviation industry but stressed that any deal between larger airlines would face close scrutiny and might require divestiture of some assets. He acknowledged there had been "a lot of chatter" about potential deals.
Expert Criticism
Ganesh Sitaraman, director of the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator, said a merger would be "an absolute disaster for the flying public," leading to higher prices and fewer choices. William McGee, a senior fellow at the American Economic Liberties Project, described the reported proposal as "the most absurd airline merger" he had heard about.
Dennis Tajer, spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association representing American Airlines pilots, said the union was "always interested in and welcome ideas that will turn around our airline," citing concerns about the carrier's performance.
End of Merger Pursuit
On April 27, 2026, Scott Kirby announced that discussions regarding a potential merger with American Airlines had concluded. Kirby stated that he had approached American directly about a merger, but American declined to negotiate. He said that without a willing partner, the merger could not proceed.
"Without a willing partner, the merger could not proceed." — Scott Kirby
Kirby stated that United would now focus on its independent strategy, which he described as "de-commoditizing travel" and investing in technology, product, and infrastructure. He later stated that he did not expect further major airline consolidation in the US and was not pursuing a merger for his airline.
Following the announcement of the conclusion of merger talks, United Airlines stock fell 0.8% and American Airlines stock fell 1.9% on that day.
Rationale for the Proposal
Kirby stated that his vision for the merger differed from previous airline consolidations, which he characterized as focused on cost-cutting. He stated the proposed merger aimed at growth, customer investment, and global competitiveness. He acknowledged that regulatory approval would likely require divestitures in some domestic markets.
Kirby argued that the combined airline would better compete with foreign carriers. He stated on the Stratechery podcast in January 2025 that "size would help" compete on U.S. outbound flights, noting that customers who fly United or Delta often use Emirates for travel to the Middle East, and suggesting that a larger carrier with more offerings could retain those customers.
Industry Context
A combination of United and American Airlines would have been the largest consolidation in the U.S. airline industry in at least a decade. According to aviation data group OAG, United and American were the world's two largest airlines by available capacity in 2025, including international flights.
U.S. airline industry consolidation over the previous two decades had left American, United, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines controlling approximately 80% of the domestic market share and 74% of passenger capacity.
U.S. airlines had previously raised concerns about government subsidies received by some Middle Eastern carriers. More recently, U.S. carriers formed partnerships with some of those airlines: United with Emirates, American with Qatar Airways, and Delta with Riyadh Air in 2024.
Delta Air Lines President Peter Carter stated that Delta had no plans for a merger or acquisition, instead focusing on partnerships and joint ventures.