1400 ET - United Airlines watched American Airlines expand its gate count in Chicago last year, but won't let the rival carrier take any of its turf in 2026, CEO Scott Kirby says on a call with analysts. "We're drawing a line in the sand," he says. United knew American would get more gates in 2025 based on a usage analysis, but decided not to respond and instead settle into that "new normal," Kirby says. This year, United will add as many flights as it needs to in order to keep its current gate count, the CEO says. "We are not going to allow them to win a single gate at our expense in 2026," he says. (dean.seal@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 21, 2026 14:00 ET (19:00 GMT)

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