United Airlines CEO approached American Airlines with merger plan
April 27 (UPI) — The chief executive officer of United Airlines confirmed Monday that he pitched a potential merger to American Airlines, but was turned down.
United CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement Monday that American Airlines rejected his proposal.
“I approached American about exploring a combination because I thought we could do something incredible for customers together,” Kirby wrote in the statement.
Kirby wrote that he was seeking “a willing partner that shared my big, bold vision.”
He said the plan was aimed at increasing coverage for customers, creating a globally competitive airline and growing the U.S. economy.
“I was hoping to pitch that story to American, but they declined to engage and instead responded by publicly closing the door,” he wrote. “And without a willing partner, something this big simply can’t get done.”
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said last week that a merger with United would be anticompetitive and bad for customers.
Kirby had reportedly approached the Trump administration with his idea earlier this year, but President Donald Trump told CNBC last week that he would be against such a merger.
