Visualized: United vs American — The Profit Gap Entering 2026

DALLAS — United Airlines (UA) entered 2026 with a clear financial edge over American Airlines (AA): larger revenue scale, materially stronger profitability, and more balance-sheet flexibility.

In full-year 2025 results, UA reported US$59.1B in revenue and $3.4B in net income, while AA generated US$54.6B in revenue but just US$111M in GAAP net income, underscoring how margins and leverage continue to separate two of the U.S. network carriers heading into 2026.

To illustrate the origin and magnitude of the gap, key comparison points are presented side by side: revenue scale, net income, margins, liquidity, and leverage signals.

Collectively, these charts demonstrate not only which carrier generated higher earnings in 2025, but also which carrier enters 2026 with greater capacity to invest, withstand market fluctuations, and compete.