Overview
- Shares of both airlines rose Tuesday after reports said United’s Scott Kirby pitched a tie-up to President Trump during a February 25 White House meeting on Dulles Airport.
- United and American declined to comment, the White House offered no response, and no formal approach or active deal talks have been confirmed.
- Kirby’s case centered on scale in long-haul markets and rising fuel costs from the Iran war, with a combined carrier controlling more than a third of U.S. flying and surpassing Delta by capacity.
- Antitrust lawyers and industry officials said approval would be a long shot due to overlapping hubs like Chicago O’Hare and Dallas–Fort Worth, likely divestitures, and risks of higher fares and job losses.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently said there is room for consolidation with close consumer scrutiny, and Axios reported companies are increasingly taking merger pitches directly to Trump as the path to clearance.