United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has privately pitched a possible combination with American Airlines to U.S. government officials, according to Bloomberg and Reuters, citing people familiar with the conversations. Reuters reported Kirby made the pitch to numerous officials; Bloomberg described the audience as senior government officials.
There is no public evidence that a formal deal process exists. Neither outlet found confirmation that United has made a formal approach to American or that any transaction process is underway. No merger agreement, board approval, securities filing, or Hart-Scott-Rodino filing has surfaced. United and American both declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to Reuters.
American shares rose more than 5% in after-hours trading following the reports. United shares were little changed.
If the concept ever advanced to a real transaction, it would face immediate and severe antitrust scrutiny. American, Delta, United, and Southwest each hold roughly 17% of domestic traffic, according to Department of Transportation data. A United-American tie-up would consolidate two of those four positions in a market regulators already consider concentrated.
The recent enforcement record would weigh heavily against approval. In May 2023, a federal judge ordered American and JetBlue to dissolve their Northeast Alliance after the Justice Department argued it reduced competition. In January 2024, a federal judge blocked JetBlue's acquisition of Spirit on similar grounds. Both were structurally narrower than a full combination of two legacy network carriers.
Even sympathetic regulators would face pressure points. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said recently that he sees room for airline consolidation but that any potential deal would face close scrutiny on consumer impact. Bloomberg Law noted the idea would draw intense scrutiny even under the business-friendly Trump administration. Reuters flagged hub overlap in Chicago and Dallas as obvious competitive concerns.
Reuters cited widening performance gaps across the industry as part of the backdrop for the reported outreach. Rising fuel costs have increased pressure on weaker carriers, Reuters reported, and American has faced questions about profitability. Kirby has publicly suggested stronger airlines could gain share as rivals struggle.