The US airline Delta Air Lines denied Wednesday media reports it was engaged in merger talks with rival United Airlines.
"There have been no talks with United regarding any type of consolidation transaction and there are no such ongoing discussions," Delta CEO Richard Anderson said in a statement.
Anderson's statement came after news reports said that Pardus Capital Management, which owns a roughly 2.0 percent stake in Delta and 4.8 percent of UAL, the parent company of United Airlines, had sent a letter to Delta advocating the merger of the two carriers.
Delta said it would not speculate on possible airline consolidation and reiterated its position on the issue.
Delta recalled it had earlier issued a statement "responding to reports of Pardus Capital Management's call for Delta to be a leader in airline consolidation."
In that statement, Anderson said: "We have been consistent in our public statements that Delta believes that the right consolidation transaction could generate significant value for our shareholders and employees and that strategic options should be evaluated.
"With oil at over 90 dollars a barrel, this analysis takes on a heightened importance as we factor those prices into our long-term planning process."
The prior company statement did not explicitly refer to United, but said a Delta board panel was working with management to review and analyze strategic options, "including potential consolidation transactions."
Delta, the third-largest US carrier, emerged from bankruptcy protection on April 30.
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