American rejects merger talks with United Airlines

Planes operated by United Airlines and American Airlines taxi on the runway at Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., April 14, 2026. REUTERS/Joshua Lott · Reuters Reuters Sat, April 18, 2026 at 1:18 a.m. GMT+2 2 min read

April 17 (Reuters) - American Airlines said on Friday that it was not interested in a merger with United Airlines and had not held any such talks, diminishing ‌prospects of an industry-reshaping deal that would face tough regulatory scrutiny.

A combination of two ‌of the largest U.S. network carriers would mark the biggest consolidation move in more than a decade, further tightening ​a domestic market already dominated by four similarly sized players. Including international flights, United and American were already the world's two largest airlines by available capacity in 2025, according to OAG data.

That scale would, however, invite extraordinary scrutiny from regulators, labor unions and consumer advocates wary of higher fares and ‌reduced competition, leaving the deal with ⁠slim chances of approval, analysts and industry officials have said.

There is also significant overlap between American and United, including Chicago O'Hare and major hubs in ⁠Texas.

"While changes in the broader airline marketplace may be necessary, a combination with United would be negative for competition and for consumers," American Airlines said, adding that such a deal would be inconsistent with ​its understanding ​of the Trump administration's approach to antitrust enforcement.

United ​Airlines declined to comment, while the White ‌House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The White House has previously said it has no opinion on a potential United Airlines deal for American Airlines.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby pitched the potential for merging with American Airlines in a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in late February, Reuters reported on Monday.

The meeting with Trump was three days before the start ‌of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran that sent jet ​fuel prices soaring and has led airlines to raise ​fares and fees to offset higher costs.

Kirby ​has argued to administration officials that a combined airline would be a ‌stronger competitor in international markets and noted ​the Trump administration has focused ​on U.S. trade deficits around the globe, according to sources.

But one person close to the White House had told Reuters there was skepticism about such a tie-up, given its ​potential impact on competition and ‌ticket prices at a time when the administration is already focused on rising costs ​for consumers ahead of midterm elections in November.

(Reporting by Aditya Soni and Megavarshini ​G. Somasundaram in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)

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