US airline shares rise after report of United CEO pitching American tie‑up with Trump

American Airlines AAL.O shares soars nearly 5%, United Airlines UAL.O jumps 2%, Southwest Airlines LUV.N and Delta DAL.O rise between 1% and 2% in premarket trading

UAL CEO Scott Kirby pitched AAL tie-up in meeting with Trump on Feb 25, Reuters reported on Monday, citing sources

Potential tie-up would mark the biggest consolidation move in more than a decade, further tightening a domestic market dominated by four similarly sized players

Kirby argued that combined airline would be a stronger competitor in international markets

Any deal likely to face significant regulatory hurdles

YTD, as of last close, UAL down nearly 15%, AAL declined 26.7%, LUV 4.6% lower, DAL fell 3.4%