United and Continental airlines have officially merged into a single airline.
“This is a true merger of equals, bringing together two strong companies and positioning us to succeed in a dynamic and highly competitive global aviation industry. This sets us on a path to create the world’s leading airline from a position of strength, with one of the industry’s best cash positions, industry-leading revenues and a competitive cost structure,” Glenn Tilton, who will serve as non-executive chairman of the board, said in a news release. “Drawing from both companies, we have an excellent board of directors and a strong management team, and we have the industry’s best people to deliver on the promise of great products and service for our customers, career opportunities for our people and consistent returns for our shareholders.”
Stockholders of Continental and United last month agreed to merge the two airlines. The airlines announced the all-stock merger in May.
“Today’s merger closing is a big first step, and I want to thank my co-workers at Continental and United for their incredible efforts to get us to this point,” Jeff Smisek, who will serve as president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “We have been moving quickly but thoughtfully on our integration planning, and I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made. We have a lot of hard work ahead as we begin to implement our integration plan, but our co-workers are enthusiastic about the opportunities this merger will bring to them.”