Speaking on the sidelines of a US Airways media event, Doug Parker told Reuters that consolidation is good for the industry, which suffers from overcapacity. But he said consolidation is a slow process.
US Airways said it has abandoned merger discussions with UAL, leaving UAL to pursue talks with Continental to form the world's largest airline.
Some experts have said that if two major carriers merge, they would achieve a competitive advantage over rivals that could stimulate rapid consolidation in the industry.
"I don't think it comes in waves. I think it comes one transaction at a time over a long period of time," Parker said.
He declined to speculate on the likelihood of a UAL/Continental deal. Some industry watchers have said that UAL had entered talks with US Airways only to draw Continental into separate talks. Neither UAL nor Continental has confirmed their talks.
"We believe consolidation is good for the industry," Parker said. "We further believe that if indeed United and Continental does happen, it's good for US Airways."
"If the industry gets stronger through consolidation, that just makes the stand-alone plans stronger," he said.
Parker declined to say exactly why US Airways had pulled out of its talks with UAL. He said discussions were advanced, in depth, and at the "board level."
"It was a business decision on our part," he said.
US Airways posted a narrowed quarterly loss due to improved travel demand as the industry claws its way out of a downturn. (Reuters)
