by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:35 AM ET, Tue April 14, 2026
Following Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s comments about being open to a major potential airline merger last week, major news outlets are reporting rumors that United Airlines’ CEO Scott Kirby met with President Trump in late February this year to pitch the idea of merging with American Airlines.
According to Reuters, the meeting with Trump took place on February 25 following a scheduled meeting about the Washington Dulles airport, three days before the Israeli-U.S. war on Iran sent jet fuel prices skyrocketing.
Anonymous sources who participated in the meeting told Reuters that Kirby made the case that a combined airline would be able to compete better in international markets.
Yet antitrust issues abound. While federal regulators no longer seem as concerned about antitrust issues among airlines as during previous administrations, it would still be a major shift in the American travel industry should the government approve such a major merger.
Over the past few decades, a series of previous mergers have led to our current situation, where 80 percent of the domestic passenger market in the United States is controlled by just four airlines: Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines.
Ganesh Sitamaran, director of the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator and author of “Why Flying Is Miserable,” told Reuters that the merger would reduce competition and therefore, make prices and the flying experience worse for Americans.
"Fewer choices mean higher ticket prices, more fees, and fewer options for anyone who wants to get from point A to point B," he said.
Why United and American, though? American carries around $25 billion in long-term debt, more than its rivals, and it’s also the smallest by market value, at $7 billion. By comparison, the third-smallest major airline by market value is Southwest, at $19 billion.
Kirby, United’s current CEO, has also previously served as American Airlines’ president from 2013 to 2016.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
