AirTran Holdings Inc. said it has called...

AirTran Holdings Inc. said it has called off discussions involving a possible acquisition of Trans World Airlines Inc., the eighth-largest U.S. carrier. The low-fare carrier, formerly known as ValuJet Airlines Inc., said the monthlong talks with TWA never moved beyond early stages and declined to say why the discussions ended. TWA declined to comment. Shares of the St. Louis-based carrier jumped 12% on June 16 when talks with AirTran, based in Orlando, Fla., first were reported. TWA shares fell 13 cents to $2.25 on the America Stock Exchange, while AirTran rose 6 cents to $4.16 on Nasdaq.

*

Guide to Our Staff: Need to reach Business section reporters or editors? A guide to the section’s staff can be found at: https://www.latimes.com/bizstaff.