United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby still wants a merger with American Airlines, according to a report published on 7 June 2026. The latest comments keep alive a consolidation discussion that has circulated across the US airline sector for months.
The report links Kirby’s position to the same forces that helped push Spirit Airlines into failure, including a highly competitive market structure and pressure on weaker carriers. It places American at the centre of the debate, with Kirby remaining interested in a deal despite earlier rebuffs.
The article is framed as part of the wider consolidation argument in US aviation rather than as an official corporate announcement. No fresh statement from either United or American was identified in the available material.