American Airlines will decide whether to pursue a merger within "a matter of
weeks," CEO Tom Horton said in an interview published Sunday by the Financial
Times newspaper.
But a company spokesman said that doesn't mean the company is
accelerating its planning process. AMR Corp. has said it would review
alternatives in the coming weeks once its labor contract issues are resolved
in court.
"The timetable for our review of alternatives has not changed and we
expect it to occur by or into the fall time frame," spokesman Andrew Backover
said.
Horton, who had been critical of merger proposals advanced by US Airways,
has sounded less hostile lately.
He told the Financial Times that a merger with US Airways "may be an
attractive option under the right circumstances.
" Our view [earlier this year] was not that that combination was unwise.
It was that that was not the right time to discuss it."
Backover said Horton was interviewed by the British publication last week
before the Allied Pilots Association announced that its members overwhelmingly
voted down the company's final contract offer.
American sent nondisclosure agreements to prospective merger partners,
including US Airways, on July 27.
Those companies have to sign those agreements to receive detailed and
proprietary information from American.
A US Airways spokesman said Monday that his airline has not signed the
document.
"We have received an NDA from AMR Corp. and are reviewing it. US Airways
does not plan to comment further at this time with respect to its review,"
spokesman Ed Stewart said.
On Wednesday, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane will rule on American's
request to throw out its contract with the pilots union and impose American's
terms. He had withheld a ruling until the union voted.
But Lane will delay his ruling on the flight attendants contract until
after the Association of Professional Flight Attendants completes its
ratification vote Aug. 19.
Over the weekend, that union posted a message to members on its hotline
that all but endorsed ratifying the negotiated final offer submitted by
American rather than risk the court imposing more stringent terms.
"APFA's bankruptcy attorneys and financial experts have expressed over
and over that there is no positive side to a 'No' vote," the message said.
