According to a Bloomberg report published today, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has floated the idea of combining his airline with rival American Airlines. Sources familiar with the conversations told Bloomberg that Kirby pitched the concept directly to senior US government officials. It is unclear if any formal process to explore a deal is actually underway.
If it ever happened, a United and American tie-up would create by far the largest airline the world has ever seen. The two carriers are already among the three biggest in the United States. Together, they would dominate the US domestic market, control hubs in nearly every major American city, and lead international routes out of the country.
It would also face enormous regulatory scrutiny. Even under the current administration, which has signaled a more open stance toward airline consolidation, a deal of this size would draw intense pushback from antitrust regulators, labor unions, and competing airlines.
For Kirby, this would be familiar territory. Before he became CEO of United in 2020, he spent decades helping engineer two of the biggest mergers in modern aviation history. The 2005 combination of America West and US Airways. And the 2013 merger of US Airways and American Airlines that created the American we know today. He was the president of American Airlines after that merger before jumping to United in 2016.
In other words, Kirby knows exactly how to do this. The question is whether Washington will let him.
Neither United nor American has publicly commented. For now, it is just an idea. A very big idea, pitched quietly behind closed doors.
https://onemileatatime.com/guy-american/https://skift.com/2026/04/13/united-airlines-floated-possible-merger-with-rival-american-report/It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. In particular because a merger between Jetblue and Spirit was blocked. I think Trump will let this pass.
Scott Kirby has already done this many times, so he knows what he's doing. If this goes through, look out Delta. It means an airline with over 2000 mainline aircraft, not counting regional jets.
