United Airlines said Monday it had ended its pursuit of a merger with American Airlines after the rival carrier declined to engage following an initial approach . “I was hoping to pitch that story to American, but they declined to engage and instead responded by publicly closing the door,” United CEO Scott Kirby said. Kirby raised the idea of a combination with American during a meeting with President Trump in late February , Reuters first reported earlier this month. The meeting had been scheduled to discuss the future of Washington’s Dulles airport. A merger between two of the largest US network carriers would have marked the biggest consolidation move in more than a decade REUTERS Kirby added: “American’s public comments make it clear that a merger like this is off the table for the foreseeable future.” American declined to comment on Kirby’s statement on Monday, but pointed to remarks made last week by its CEO Robert ​Isom, who flatly rejected a merger.…