United Airlines approached Delta Air Lines last year about a merger that would have combined the two most valuable U.S. carriers, but the talks never progressed. United CEO Scott Kirby personally called Delta CEO Ed Bastian to pitch the idea, and Delta’s leadership discussed the proposal as part of preliminary due diligence before both airlines moved on. The approach, which became public on July 26, sent United shares up 3.51% to $119.42 and Delta shares up 3.49% to $86.25 that day. A deal was widely seen as impossible on antitrust grounds, though some business leaders had hoped the second Trump administration might allow previously unthinkable combinations. Kirby also floated a merger with American Airlines earlier this year, an idea American’s CEO publicly rejected as anticompetitive.
United Airlines Holdings IncUnited's CEO approached Delta about a merger, sending shares up 3.51% on the news.
Delta Air Lines IncApproached by United for a merger, shares rose 3.49% on the news, though talks never advanced.
American Airlines Group
Southwest Airlines Company