“I approached American about exploring a combination because I thought we could do something incredible for customers together,” Kirby said in a statement. He said he shared his “big, bold vision” because he was confident it could win regulatory approval.<\/p>\n
American rejected the idea and its CEO, Robert Isom, last week said such a merger<\/a> would be bad for customers<\/a> and “anticompetitive.”<\/p>\n Kirby had floated the idea to the Trump administration earlier this year, according to a person familiar with the matter, in hopes that that the combination would mean a big global airline to compete with foreign rivals.<\/p>\n American declined to comment on Kirby’s Monday statement.<\/p>\n “I was hoping to pitch that story to American, but they declined to engage and instead responded by publicly closing the door,” Kirby said in his statement on Monday. “And without a willing partner, something this big simply can’t get done.”<\/p>\n He said that “American’s public comments make it clear that a merger like this is off the table for the foreseeable future” but outlined his vision for a combined airline.<\/p>\n Kirby reiterated that the country has deficit with foreign airlines that fly more than half of the long-haul seats into the U.S., with most of the customers being Americans. <\/p>\n “The combined scale of United and American would be a better way to compete with foreign carriers,” he said.<\/p>\n President\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0said he was against the idea of a combination last week.<\/p>\n “I don’t like having them merge,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box<\/a>” on Tuesday morning. He said he would, however, like someone to buy\u00a0struggling discount carrier Spirit<\/a>\u00a0but he also suggested that the federal government could “help that one out.”<\/p>\n Spirit and the Trump administration are in advanced talks for a rescue package<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"American](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/108296080-17769434831776943475-45455881655-1080pnbcnews.jpg\")
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