United CEO Defends Vision for American Merger in Unusual Public Memo

United CEO Scott Kirby took the unusual step Monday of publicly detailing his vision for a blockbuster merger between United Airlines and American Airlines — even after the deal was firmly rejected.

He said he approached American about the idea of a merger, but American refused to engage in any talks. 

“I was hoping to pitch that story to American, but they declined to engage and instead responded by publicly closing the door. And without a willing partner, something this big simply can’t get done,” Kirby said in a lengthy statement on Monday. 

In the statement, the United CEO sought to justify what would have been one of the most consequential airline mergers in decades.

“My aspirations could not be more different,” Kirby said, contrasting his proposal with past airline mergers typically focused on cost-cutting. Instead, he described a “bold idea” to build what he called “the very best [airline] in the