What airline was created by the 2010 merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines?

The 2010 merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines created the modern United Airlines.

United and Continental announced their combination in May 2010. The transaction was structured as an all-stock merger, with Continental’s shareholders receiving United shares. It closed on October 1, 2010, creating the world’s largest airline by available seat miles at that time.

The surviving corporate name was United Continental Holdings, while the airline used the United brand and Continental’s globe-inspired visual identity during the integration. The two airlines operated separately for a period before receiving a single operating certificate in November 2011.

This merger is often confused with later airline combinations, such as American Airlines with US Airways or Delta with Northwest. United’s post-merger fleet, routes and hubs combined the networks of both predecessor carriers, including major operations at Chicago and Houston.