US Airways Group Inc. CEO Doug Parker was snubbed three times as a merger partner in deal-making that produced the world’s biggest airlines, but taking over AMR Corp. may be his last chance to break into the top tier of U.S. carriers, according to a Bloomberg News report today. Parker engineered the 2005 merger creating the US Airways in its current form, ushering in a round of consolidation that reshaped the industry. With fewer competitors, the largest carriers have mostly stayed profitable even with higher fuel prices. AMR's bankruptcy gives him an opening to orchestrate a deal to vault US Airways past its rivals to claim the No. 1 spot in global traffic. Falling short again would leave the Tempe, Arizona-based airline in fifth place among U.S. peers, with few prospects to improve that status.
