United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is once again making headlines for his blunt assessments of Spirit Airlines, saying this week that United will not pursue any of the bankrupt discount airline’s assets if they come up for sale. He cited limited gate availability in Spirit’s key markets and the high cost of converting its all-Airbus fleet to United standards. “It would cost about $15 million per airplane to reconfigure them,” he said, according to Reuters, adding that United’s fleet plan already has a clear trajectory. He has repeatedly predicted Spirit’s demise, saying earlier this month that “consumers voted and it failed” when it came to the ultra-low-cost model. By publicly doubting Spirit’s future, Kirby could be positioning United as a stable counterweight in policy debates about industry competition and consolidation.