United Airlines has held conversations with another carrier about buying some of its assets, Scott Kirby said, offering a fresh glimpse into a period of airline deal chatter that has been swirling around the industry for weeks. Kirby declined to say which company was involved or to give any more detail about the talks.
He made the comments during a interview, saying, "And as I look at assets, maybe they will, maybe they won’t come available. We’ve actually even had some discussions with one airline about buying some," while adding that United was preparing for "the next crisis." The remarks put a hard numberless edge on speculation that had already reached beyond ordinary consolidation talk.
The weight behind the comments is that they came as Kirby also said United wants to build "that can really be stronger internationally." That line points to a strategy that is broader than a one-off purchase. It suggests United is watching for assets that could widen its reach overseas, even as it keeps its options quiet.
Those comments landed after weeks of merger rumors that had even included Kirby toying with the idea of a super merger with American Airlines. American then released a statement denying any involvement with United, cutting off one of the more combustible versions of the speculation. Kirby, for his part, did not return to that idea in the interview and declined to identify the carrier involved in the asset talks.
He also said United was not seeing any actual jet fuel shortages, though he pointed to Asia and Europe as the two places where a lack of physical jet fuel could still become a problem. The backdrop is higher fuel prices and a broader debate over U.S. airline consolidation, both of which have pushed carriers to think more carefully about capacity and costs.
Kirby said demand remained strong, but that United would trim some marginal flights in the second half of the year because higher oil prices could last longer and weaker demand could follow. He said the airline was not getting rid of airplanes or changing strategy, only reducing Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and red-eye flying where it made sense. That is the practical answer to what comes next: United is not standing still, but it is also not giving up control of the story to the rumors around it.
