American rejects merger talks with United Airlines

Source: msn/Reuters

12h


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.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/american-rejects-merger-talks-with-united-airlines/ar-AA219uWW