American Airlines on Friday evening denied that it was in merger talks with United Airlines.
In a statement, American said that it "is not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines. While changes in the broader airline marketplace may be necessary, a combination with United would be a negative for competition and for consumers."
The carrier added that such a merger also would be inconsistent with the principles of antitrust law. American instead said "our focus will remain on executing on our strategic objectives and positioning American to win for the long term."
Bloomberg on April 13 reported that United CEO Scott Kirby had floated the idea of a merger between the two giant carriers to U.S. government officials in late February. A week before the report, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that "there is room for some mergers in the aviation industry.
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