Why American Airlines & US Airways Merged Advertisement: American Airlines and US Airways merged in 2013, leading to the retirement of the US Airways brand. The merger brought together two of the oldest airlines in the US. And it created the world’s largest airline at the time. This article looks back at the two airlines before they merged, the details of the merger, and its challenges. American Airlines and US Airways merged in 2013. Photo: Getty Images American Airlines American Airlines is one of the oldest airlines in the US. It came together in 1930 from the collaboration from many smaller independent airlines (up to 80) under a shared brand of American Airways.