American Airlines rises on merger chatter, but regulatory hurdles loom

American Airlines Group AAL.O rises more than 4% premarket

United Airlines UAL.O CEO Scott Kirby pitched potential merger with co to U.S. President Donald Trump in February, report says

Deal would combine two of world's largest airlines but likely face significant regulatory hurdles, opposition from unions and lawmakers over antitrust concerns

UAL up ~2%

American Airlines under pressure to improve profitability, but weighed down by ~$25 bln in long-term debt, more than rivals Delta Air Lines DAL.N, UAL

YTD, UAL down ~15%, AAL falls ~27%, underperforming Nasdaq's .IXIC 0.3% drop