1. The trend has been to spin off regional partners.
2. An independent publicly owned regional would have to agree to be bought out or be taken over under hostility.
3. A privately owned regional would have to see gold at the end of the rainbow to give up it's cash cow.
4. Unionized pilots would pitch a fit. Who knows what the other labour groups would say.
5. I really can't see upper mgmt at these regionals giving up their gigs.
6. Stranger things have happened..