Tony Cervone, a top spokesman for General Motors as it battled bankruptcy rumors and won U.S. rescue loans, is leaving the automaker.

Cervone, 46, will join UAL Corp., parent of United Airlines, as chief communications officer and senior vice president, United said in a statement on Wednesday.

GM does not have an immediate announcement on Cervones successor, spokesman Tom Wilkinson said.

Cervone joined GM from DaimlerChrysler AG in 1999. He returned briefly to DaimlerChrysler in August 2000 before rejoining GM less than a year later.

Cervones most recent title was vice president of global strategy and integration. He was second in command for GMs global public relations department and was considered a candidate to replace PR chief Steve Harris when Harris retires.

GM averted bankruptcy when President George W. Bush granted the automaker $13.4 billion in federal loans in December. GM has received $9.4 billion so far. The White House stepped in after two rounds of hearings resulted in a Senate rejection of aid.

At UAL, Cervone will oversee internal and external communications, media and public relations, crisis communications and partnership communications.