United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is reportedly floating a blockbuster idea inside the Trump orbit: a potential merger with American Airlines that would create the largest airline in the world — and instantly reshape the U.S. aviation industry.
According to reports, Kirby raised the possibility toward the end of a White House meeting focused on the future of Washington Dulles International Airport. The timing is notable. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has already launched an initiative to “revitalize” Dulles, signaling a broader push to strengthen major U.S. travel hubs and compete globally.
And the stakes are massive. Data from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority shows that a dominant 68.5 percent of commercial passengers at Dulles in December flew United — underscoring just how much influence one airline already holds at a key East Coast gateway.
Now imagine that power combined.
In 2023, United and American ranked first and third, respectively, in revenue by passenger miles among U.S.-based airlines, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. A merger between the two wouldn’t just be big — it would create an aviation giant unlike anything seen before, potentially giving the U.S. a dominant global carrier at a time of rising international competition.
Kirby, who knows both companies well, previously served as president of American Airlines after its 2013 merger with U.S. Airways before joining United in 2016 — adding another layer of intrigue to the reported pitch.
Not surprisingly, the reaction from Washington’s political class — especially on the left — was immediate and hostile.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) fired off a blunt response on X, writing, “That’s gonna be a no.”
Matt Stoller, a researcher at the anti-monopolist American Economic Liberties Project, went even further, calling the idea “corporate crime” that is “now legal.”
But behind the outrage is a deeper policy divide. Under Trump appointee Andrew Ferguson, the Federal Trade Commission has taken a more business-friendly approach than it did under former Chair Lina Khan, whose aggressive antitrust stance often targeted large corporate mergers. For many conservatives, that shift reflects a broader belief that American companies need scale to compete with state-backed foreign rivals — particularly in industries like aviation.
Still, even some legal experts say the proposal would face an uphill battle.
Antitrust lawyer Seth Bloom told Reuters the deal would be unlikely to survive regulatory scrutiny, warning that it could hit consumers where it hurts most: prices.
“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.
That tension — between building a stronger, more competitive American airline industry and protecting consumers from higher costs — is likely to define the debate if this idea gains traction.
For now, Kirby’s reported pitch remains just that — a pitch.
