# United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby says he approached American Airlines about a merger.

*business · news · 2026-04-27 · Barchart*

## Key points

- United CEO Scott Kirby publicly confirmed he approached American Airlines about a merger proposal.
- Kirby claims he believed a United-American merger could obtain regulatory approval and benefit customers.
- American Airlines officially rejected merger talks, citing antitrust and competition concerns.
- Kirby approached American directly about the merger, but it is unclear if this was before or after his White House meeting.
- The FAA ordered both airlines to cut around 300 summer flights from Chicago O’Hare due to congestion.

**Companies:** United Airlines, American Airlines
**Countries:** United States, Iran

[Read the full story on Barchart](https://www.barchart.com/story/news/1538751/united-airlines-ceo-confirms-he-approached-american-about-potential-merger-but-was-rebuffed)

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