JetBlue rebuffs American Airlines with merger aversion
Skift Take
JetBlue will stick with its grow-it-alone strategy, which is a smart move given American's challenges and poor track record when it comes to mergers and acquisitions.
JetBlue Airways Corp. has “no interest” in a merger with AMR Corp.’s bankrupt American Airlines and hasn’t received a document that would allow an exchange of confidential information between the carriers.
After being identified by AMR last month as likely to get a non-disclosure agreement, JetBlue has held no talks with the larger airline about a combination, Chief Executive Dave Barger said yesterday in an interview at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="350"] JetBlue at New York, JFK. Photo by Michael Gray.[/caption]
“We have not received a non-disclosure agreement,” he said. “We’re not interested in receiving a non-disclosure agreement from American Airlines.”
Barger’s comment underscored New York-based JetBlue’s aversion to the industry deal-making since 2008 that created the world’s two biggest airlines, United Continental Holdings Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. He said JetBlue will grow with steps su
