After two weeks of speculation, United Airlines has confirmed that it approached American Airlines to explore a historic merger, only to be swiftly rejected by its Texas-based rival. United CEO Scott Kirby has now abandoned the idea "for the foreseeable future," but not without defending a growth strategy that he claims would have benefited US passengers and strengthened the position of American carriers on long-haul routes against foreign competitors. In a statement released on April 27, 2026, Kirby confirmed that he had approached American Airlines to "explore a combination" between the two carriers. "I approached American to explore a combination because I thought we could do something incredible for customers together," he said. American Airlines, based in Fort Worth, did not merely decline privately; it issued a statement on April 17 asserting that it "is not engaged in nor interested in discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines." The carrier deemed such an operation "negative for competition and consumers," in line with its interpretation of the Trump administration's antitrust philosophy. Acknowledging the rejection, Kirby stated that the project is now frozen: "Without a willing partner, something this important simply cannot happen," adding that American's public statements show "a merger of this type is off the table for the foreseeable future." Kirby's narrative is notable for how he attempts to distinguish this proposal from the major mergers that have reshaped the US airline industry over the past fifteen years (Delta–Northwest, United–Continental, American–US Airways). According to him, most past mergers involved struggling carriers seeking to cut costs, capacity, and staff. In contrast, he claims his proposal was "a combination that would have added, not subtracted, creating a truly formidable airline that customers love." His "bold idea" aimed for "growth that would usher in a whole new era of American aviation leadership." He outlined a roadmap where a United–American group could deploy United's customer strategy across a larger network, build a more attractive loyalty program, add international flights, and improve service to smaller US cities. Beyond the domestic market, Kirby emphasized the geopolitical and commercial dimension of long-haul air transport. He argues that foreign carriers—often state-owned or heavily subsidized—account for about 65% of long-haul seats to or from the United States, while only 40% of passengers on those flights are foreign citizens. "We have a significant trade deficit with international airlines," he said, viewing this as a disadvantage for US aviation and workers. His reasoning: a giant born from a United–American combination, with a global network and substantial economies of scale, would be a more credible tool to compete with major European, Gulf, and Asian groups. Kirby noted that many large foreign carriers benefit from direct or indirect state support, while US majors must operate profitably under strict competitive conditions. American Airlines, however, took a much more down-to-earth line focused on concentration risks. In its statement, the Texas-based group warned that a merger with United would be "negative for competition and consumers" and incompatible with US antitrust law. CEO Robert Isom reinforced this during the quarterly earnings presentation, calling the idea of uniting the world's two largest airlines "something we consider anticompetitive." "Bad for customers, bad for the industry, and ultimately bad for American Airlines," he summarized. American also cited the recent regulatory environment: the blocking of JetBlue's proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines in January 2024, which led the carriers to abandon the merger in March 2024. For American, a merger with United—whose networks already overlap at key hubs like Chicago O'Hare and Texas—would have little chance of passing antitrust scrutiny.