United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby reportedly floated the idea of a possible merger between United Airlines and American Airlines during a conversation with US President Donald Trump, a move that, if it ever developed into a formal proposal, would rank among the biggest and most sensitive deals in the history of US commercial aviation.
The report was published by AeroTime, citing Bloomberg, while Reuters later said that discussions on the topic had indeed taken place in late February this year.
According to the available information, the conversation took place during a meeting at the White House, with the future of Washington Dulles International Airport said to be the main topic. However, the possibility of combining the two major US carriers was also reportedly mentioned, immediately drawing the attention of the aviation and business communities.
Further momentum to such speculation came from US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who said in an interview with CNBC in early April that he does not rule out further consolidation in the industry. He noted that any such transaction would have to undergo close scrutiny by the relevant authorities, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Transportation, but also suggested that President Trump is interested in major business deals.
Even so, analysts have long believed that a merger between two airlines from the group of the four largest US carriers would be extremely difficult to complete. The main obstacles would be competition rules, as well as the possible negative impact on ticket prices, route availability, and the overall position of passengers in the market.
That is why industry speculation has more often focused on smaller and mid-sized airlines as more realistic acquisition targets, with JetBlue and Spirit having long been mentioned among the more likely candidates for future consolidation.
Duffy himself acknowledged that any merger involving major carriers would raise numerous questions and that such a deal would most likely require the divestment of certain assets, slots, or other market positions in order to stand a chance of passing regulatory review. He added that every potential transaction would be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
How politically sensitive the idea is was illustrated by the swift reaction of Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, who wrote on social media that it would not happen. His response further underlined that any serious attempt to merge United and American would, alongside business and regulatory hurdles, also trigger strong political opposition.
For now, there is no indication that this is a formal process or a concrete plan. Still, the mere fact that such a possibility was reportedly discussed at the top of the US administration suggests that airline consolidation is returning to the spotlight. In an industry still adapting to new market conditions, high costs, and shifting regulatory expectations, even informal discussions involving the biggest players are enough to fuel fresh speculation.
