Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison weighed in on talk of a possible takeover of American Airlines in a statement Friday.
Hutchison asked other airlines to let American Airlines complete its bankruptcy proceedings before pursuing possible mergers. In her statement, she said:
"I've seen the public reports about hostile takeovers involving American Airlines, including another airline that is communicating directly with American's creditors and unions. I'm concerned about the potential disruptive effects of such efforts during the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, and ask that all airlines give American and the committee of creditors an opportunity to complete the bankruptcy reorganization process. Completing this essential step is in the best interests of American's employees, creditors, and the communities served by American Airlines. Any merger discussions can occur when the bankruptcy court has cleared the process by which American can emerge from court supervision."
Hutchison does not have any authority in the bankruptcy process.
A US Airways top executive recently confirmed to NBC 5 that the airline had hired advisers to monitor American's bankruptcy.
There have been many media reports about a possible takeover of American by US Airways, perhaps by Delta Airlines or other investors.
American Airlines CEO Tom Horton has said that his goal is to bring American out of bankruptcy as a stand-alone company.
NBC 5's Brian Curtis contributed to this report.
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