American Airlines weighs in on reports of merger pitch

CHARLOTTE — American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) says it has no interest in a merger with United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: UAL).

The company’s statement was in response to reports that United CEO Scott Kirby suggested a combination of the two airlines to President Donald Trump in February. On April 13, Bloomberg and Reuters reported that Kirby suggested putting the world’s two largest airlines together.

Kirby, the reports said, made the comments to Trump at a meeting at the White House on Feb. 25 during a discussion about the future of Washington Dulles International Airport.

American Airlines declined to comment to CBJ immediately after the reports were published and did not provide statements to any other media outlets. United has not commented on the reports, either.

Industry analyst Mike Boyd of Colorado-based Boyd Group International told CBJ that regulatory hurdles for combining the two carriers would quash such a deal if it were contemplated.

On April 17, American Airlines responded publicly, flatly rejecting the idea.

Read the full story on CBJ’s website here.

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