Inside these posts: Airline consolidation

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Airline stocks fall on fuel prices, market dip

Shares of U.S. airlines fell Monday. Although the Obama administration issued a terrorism alert for Americans travelling to Europe, the more likely culprits were higher jet fuel prices and a broader stock market downturn. United, Continental, American and Delta said they weren’t seeing unusual numbers of cancellations and were operating their full schedules of flights to and from Europe on Monday.

JetBlue CEO: Southwest buy won’t affect growth

Southwest Airlines Co.’s plan to buy AirTran Holdings will not affect JetBlue Airways’ intent to grow organically, JetBlue’s chief executive said.

In a memo to employees obtained by Reuters, Dave Barger said JetBlue “would not be distracted” by the planned Southwest purchase of AirTran for $1.4 billion in cash and stock. Get the full story »

Southwest Airlines to buy AirTran

An AirTran plane takes off. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, file

The proposed consolidation between Southwest and AirTran could lead to higher airfares at Midway Airport, especially to vacation destinations, according to one industry analyst.

“A lot of the rock-bottom fares from Midway to Florida were often initiated by AirTran,” said Joseph Schwieterman, a transportation expert at DePaul University, Chicago.

The merger would increase the pace at which Midway is becoming what Schwieterman called “a one-airline act.” Get the full story »