United Airlines has ended its efforts to merge with American Airlines after the rival carrier "publicly closed the door" to the proposed acquisition.
United CEO Scott Kirby confirmed on Monday that American Airlines "declined to engage" after he pitched the idea to its competitor.
Kirby said in a statement that he believed the merger of the two major U.S. carriers would have created a "new, thriving airline" for customers around the world if it received regulatory approval.
"In the past, airline mergers usually have been about two struggling airlines coming together to cut costs, flights and headcount," Kirby said in a
statement. "My aspirations could not be more different. The bold idea I wanted to pursue was about growth that would usher in a brand new era of leadership by U.S. aviation. After all, flight was born here and the storied names of the past, including both United and American, set the standards that the rest of the world aspired to."
American declined to comment on Kirby's statement but pointed to remarks by its CEO Robert Isom, who rejected such a merger and claimed it would be anti-competitive and bad for customers.
“American Airlines is not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines,” the company said in an April 17
press release. Additionally, a combination of the two carriers “would be negative for competition and for consumers” and possibly raise antitrust concerns, American Airlines said.
According to OAG data, American and United Airlines, including international flights, are already the world's two largest airlines by available capacity in 2025. A combination of the two carriers would control about
40 percent of U.S. domestic capacity.
Kirby previously said he had raised the idea of a merger with President Donald Trump during a meeting to discuss the future of Washington's Dulles airport.
Trump stated during an
April 21 interview with CNBC that he doesn't mind mergers and he would like to see the purchase of bankrupt airline Spirit.
The Biden administration went to court in 2024 to block JetBlue Airways' proposed acquisition with Spirit, arguing it would eliminate the airline that focused on low costs for passengers. Spirit's dire financial situation has worsened since then, compounded by rising jet fuel costs ahead of the peak summer travel season.
"It's 14,000 jobs, and maybe the federal government should help that one out," Trump said.
Additionally, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described United's proposal to acquire American as "interesting" but had claimed the CEO would need to do a better job of making the case for such a merger.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
