United Airlines said on Monday the carrier had approached American Airlines about a potential merger, but American declined to engage.
"I was hoping to pitch that story to American, but they declined to engage and instead responded by publicly closing the door," United CEO Scott Kirby said.
Kirby raised the idea of a combination with American during a meeting with President Donald Trump in late February, people familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier this month.
The meeting was scheduled to discuss the future of Washington's Dulles airport.
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