Originally Posted by
Hedley
Thanks for an honest reply. I hope that you guys can make it work out. I don’t see the government allowing any of the big 4 to get even bigger and more powerful through a merger, despite the irony that the merger process is what made them into the behemoths that they are today. Possibly a merger with a smaller company and shifting to lower cost secondary markets?
I agree that it feels unlikely but we’re all smart enough to know that timing, narrative, money and political influence all play a role in any M&A. If we actually start down that path with one of the large carriers I think the likelihood of it being approved is high. It’s become apparent we’re at the stage where there’s a lot of homework being done on what it would take to overcome regulatory hurdles. Whether this exploration results in actually going down that path is TBD and is the bigger question.
If for some reason this doesn’t work then I can see trying to tie up with a smaller carrier as an option but that’s only if we can’t dance with one of the big boys. This is of course my opinion only based on nothing but my own observations and experience. YMMV.