SHANGHAI : China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines said Thursday they were not in talks on a possible merger, responding to media reports that state asset regulators are considering combining the two.

Shanghai Airlines said it was not involved in any major deals related to the consolidation of China's aviation industry, according to a statement filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

China Eastern Airlines, which sought to sell a 24 per cent stake to Singaporean investors including Singapore Airlines, said in a separate statement that it was not in merger talks with any other airlines.

The official Caijing magazine reported Wednesday state-owned asset regulators were considering a merger of the two airlines.

The state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission declined to comment on the report when contacted by AFP, while a spokesman with the agency's Shanghai branch said he had not heard of such a merger plan.

- AFP/ir