President Trump recently expressed clear opposition to a potential merger between American Airlines and United Airlines, labeling the proposed deal a step too far. He shared his thoughts on the state of the aviation industry, noting that both companies are currently performing well enough on their own. While the prospect of these two industry giants joining forces has sparked significant conversation, the president made it clear that he does not support such a massive consolidation, The Hill reported.
The idea of a merger between these two airlines first gained public attention following a report that United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby pitched the concept to the president. This discussion allegedly took place during a meeting on February 25 at the White House, which was originally focused on the future of Washington Dulles International Airport.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched an initiative to revitalize Dulles in December, and data from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority shows that 68.5 percent of commercial passengers passing through that airport in December flew United. It seems the conversation about the airport quickly pivoted toward broader industry shifts.
It is easy to see why such a proposal would turn heads in the tech and business world
According to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, United and American ranked first and third, respectively, in revenue by passenger miles among U.S. based commercial airlines in 2023. If these two were to merge, the resulting entity would instantly become the largest airline in the world. Kirby, who served as the president of American after it merged with U.S. Airways in 2013 before moving to United in 2016, certainly knows the landscape of airline consolidation better than most.
However, the president remains unconvinced about the benefits of this specific move. “But with American, it’s doing fine, and United is doing very well,” he said during the interview. “I don’t like having them merge.”
While the president shut down the idea of a United and American tie-up, he did express interest in the fate of Spirit Airlines, which has been facing significant financial challenges. He suggested that the federal government might need to step in to support the company, emphasizing the importance of the 14,000 jobs tied to its operations.
“I’d love somebody to buy Spirit, it’s 14,000 jobs. Maybe the federal government should help that one out. I told my people,” he stated. Spirit has previously declined offers from Frontier Airlines to acquire the company, and a separate attempt by JetBlue to purchase the airline was blocked in federal court.
The reaction to the news of a potential United and American merger has been quite vocal among various observers. Some Democratic lawmakers and antitrust experts have already voiced their strong disapproval of the concept. Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona, took to X to share his reaction to the report, stating, “That’s gonna be a no.” Meanwhile, Matt Stoller, a researcher at the anti-monopolist American Economic Liberties Project, characterized such a deal as “corporate crime” that is “now legal.”
Beyond the political chatter, there are serious regulatory questions about whether such a merger could even happen. While the Federal Trade Commission, led by Trump appointee Andrew Ferguson, has adopted a friendlier stance toward mergers compared to the tenure of former Chair Lina Khan, the hurdles remain high.
Antitrust lawyer Seth Bloom noted that a deal of this magnitude would likely struggle to pass regulatory scrutiny. “The administration has said it really cares about the issues that affect the consumer’s pocketbook, and this would give the airlines more pricing power,” Bloom said regarding the potential for increased consolidation.
While the current administration has signaled a more open approach to business combinations, the sheer scale of an American and United merger appears to be a bridge too far for the president himself. As of now, a spokesperson for United has declined to comment on the matter.
Published: Apr 21, 2026 06:15 pm