Frontier Airlines CEO Jeff Potter tells the Denver Post a merger between Frontier and low-cost behemoth Southwest is unlikely and is unlikely to work even if his operation were bought out.

Frontier is Denver’s second biggest airline and focuses on the Rocky Mountain hub where Southwest has a minimal presence. The acquisition would make sense for Southwest.

The Frontier chief says, however, that with completely different planes (Southwest use 737s and Frontier is all Airbus) and different cultures, a merger would not work. “I’d be hard-pressed to find a successful merger in this industry,” Potter told his hometown paper. “How do you overcome the culture issue?”

Frontier also has a “poison pill” which increases existing shareholders stake if the airline is bought out. That provision is due to expire in 2007, a decade after it was adopted.

Even Southwest tells the paper it has no plans for a merger. Funny how rumors like this one start in the minds of analysts.