Overview
- Late July reporting by The Wall Street Journal revealed that United CEO Scott Kirby called Delta CEO Ed Bastian last year to pitch a possible merger.
- Delta leaders carried out preliminary due diligence but the conversations stalled and the proposal did not advance.
- Kirby had earlier floated a similar idea involving American Airlines that American’s board rejected and CEO Robert Isom called anticompetitive.
- A combined United and Delta would control roughly 35% of U.S. domestic capacity and overlap on major hubs and international joint ventures, a market structure likely to draw intense review from federal antitrust officials, state attorneys general, and foreign regulators.
- Kirby has since said a major consolidation is unlikely and signaled United will pursue growth by buying airport assets such as slots and gates, a strategy that could reshape competition at busy airports without requiring a merger.