India, Nov. 22 -- United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has made a striking forecast about the future of the U.S. airline industry, and in doing so, directly questioned the long-term viability of American Airlines.

In his latest remarks, Kirby insisted that only two "brand-loyal" full-service airlines will remain dominant, naming United and Delta, and implicitly excluding American.

During a recent appearance on the "Airline Confidential" podcast, Kirby stated that he expects the industry to consolidate into major, revenue-diverse, full-service carriers. According to him, "everyone else . is sort of competing for spill traffic."

Kirby suggested that many other airlines, including American, are running unprofitable parts of their network.

He ...