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An aviation geek at heart, Channing enjoys the thrill of covering some of the industry’s top headlines. With nearly a decade of professional experience, his longtime passion for traveling and airplanes brings a unique approach to his reporting. Channing holds a degree in broadcast journalism and spends some time freelancing in local news. US West Coast-based.
American Airlines is speaking out over talks regarding a potential merger with 
United Airlines. On Friday, the legacy carrier issued a statement dismissing any discussions involving a combination of the two airlines.
The development comes less than a week after reports that United’s CEO, Scott Kirby, had pitched a merger possibility to the Trump Administration began to surface. While it was initially believed that Kirby had recently floated the idea, subsequent reports revealed that the executive had been mulling a merger as early as last fall.
American Is Not Interested In Merging With United
American thanked the “leadership and strong support” from the White House for the “ongoing commitment to continue to improve” the aviation industry. The carrier expressed concerns that the merger would harm competition and consumers.
In its statement, the airline said it would continue to focus on strengthening the industry and being a leading carrier.
“American Airlines 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 negative for competition and for consumers, and therefore inconsistent with our understanding of the Administration’s philosophy toward the industry and principles of antitrust law. Our focus will remain on executing on our strategic objectives and positioning American to win for the long term.”
