Plans $4 Billion In Improvements To Carrier

The name "United Airlines" may soon have added significance... as CEO Glenn Tilton recently stressed the airline's interest in a possible merger with another airline down the road.

The Associated Press reports Tilton made his comments to United employees last week... as he announced plans to spend close to $4 billion on improvements to the carrier, all aimed at increasing revenue and adding efficiency.

One could take that to also mean Tilton hopes to make United a more attractive purchase for a potential buyout... something the CEO did not deny. Tilton made his remarks ahead of the announcement of United's Q3 earnings results... which are expected to be among the strongest in the industry.

"The results we are posting across our company have enabled us to look to our future and create a five-year plan that will position us for success in an industry that has historically and consistently destroyed value for shareholders and stakeholders," Tilton said in the recorded announcement.

"The ambition of our five-year plan is to position United to be the global airline of choice for premium customers, employees and investors, maintaining our fundamental commitment to safety and balancing the needs of all of our stakeholders."

News that Tilton is interested in such a merger isn't new. As ANN reported, rumors of an impending decision swirled around United Airlines' annual investor briefing in December of last year, as "merger mania" swept through US carriers; that talk proved to be just that, however, and rumors of a United merger died down soon after US Airways' failed play for Delta moved off the front pages.

"We are going to be attentive to opportunities as they present themselves," Tilton said at the time... and now, nearly one year later, it seems Tilton is just as "attentive" as ever. Stay tuned.

FMI: www.united.com