“If there was a merger between some of the larger airlines, they would have to peel off some of their assets,” Duffy said on CNBC. “I am not going to pre-commit to anything.”
Sharply higher jet fuel prices during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran have fed speculation there could be a new round of consolidation in the U.S. airline industry. Any deals would need approval of President Donald Trump, USDOT and the Justice Department, Duffy said.
“Who knows who is going to match up?… Is there room for some mergers in the aviation industry? Yeah, I think there is,” Duffy said, acknowledging “there is a lot of chatter” about potential deals.
For decades, antitrust regulators approved a series of mergers that have resulted in about 80% of the domestic passenger market being controlled by four U.S. airlines – American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines.