United CEO floated idea of United-American Airlines merger, sources say

United CEO Scott Kirby floated the idea to Trump administration officials of United merging with American Airlines, according to sources familiar with the situation. 

That conversation with officials is surfacing now after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy hinted the Trump administration was open to further consolidation in the aviation industry, but United would have a challenging road to show such a combination would improve competition or not raise costs for flyers. 

Such a combination would not be out of line with comments Kirby has made in the past about being better able to compete against other global airlines.

Kirby told CBS News in a September 2025 interview that about two thirds of the long-haul international seats to and from the United States are foreign-flag carriers, even though only 40% of the customers on airplanes are foreign citizens.

“Figuring out how to close that trade deficit with international airlines is one of the things we’re got to spend the next few years working on and trying to do,” Kirby said. “Figuring out how to create a great American airline that all Americans can be proud of that competes not just on schedules but on quality and product and service, is the mission for us, it’s not straightforward cause we’ve got to do it in a way that makes money, but that’s a goal that we have set for ourselves.”

United Airlines and American declined comment to CBS News.  

Regulators may be wary of allowing such a merger as it would create a behemoth that would control close to half of the U.S. market share. 

United is seen as possible, if not likely, to attempt to acquire JetBlue should market conditions force a sale. In an interview last month with CBS News, Kirby said the potential of lingering high fuel prices could be an opportunity for United to expand.

“I think that’s going to create a lot of stress on airlines that came into the crisis, if it is a crisis, they came in weaker, and that are being less proactive, is going to put them in a tough situation,” he said. “So we’re looking at this as, you know, an opportunity for United to maybe acquire assets, come out stronger on the other side.”

When pushed if assets meant acquiring another airline, Kirby said, “Well, those are both could well be the same. We’ll see.”

Captain Dennis Tajer, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, the union representing 16,000 American Airlines pilots, told CBS News in a statement that a possible United-American merger is “certainly intriguing.”

“We have been very open about our concerns regarding American Airlines’ financial, operational and customer service underperformance under the current management team,” Tajer said.  “We are always interested in and welcome ideas that will turn around our airline.”

Still, experts say such a merger is unlikely.

“United would have to agree to so many concessions that I’m unsure it would end up being worth it for United to buy American,” Atmosphere Research Group airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt told CBS News. “I think what Scott really wanted to do with his comment is indirectly put AA into play to see what, if anything, happens.”