A federal judge rejected a partnership between American Airlines and JetBlue Friday in a blow to the three-year-old partnership between the two airline giants, marking the latest federal antitrust ruling, following another antitrust lawsuit filed against a proposed Spirit Airlines and JetBlue merger.
A federal judge ruled against a partnership between JetBlue and American Airlines on Friday.
A federal judge in Boston ruled in favor of the Department of Justice, which filed an antitrust suit to undo the partnership, ruling it suppressed competition, the Wall Street Journal reported
The DOJ, along with six states attorneys general and Washington D.C., had argued the partnership—which the two airlines agreed to in 2020 to work in collaboration in four northeast airports, including three in the New York City area—would also drive up the price of flights.
Federal prosecutors filed another antitrust lawsuit against JetBlue in March to block its $3.8 billion proposed merger with Spirit Airlines—a merger that would make the airline the fifth biggest airline in the country. The suit was the latest blow for Spirit, which canceled its proposed merger with Frontier Airlines last July.
Feds File Antitrust Suit Against JetBlue Over Spirit Merger—Putting $3.8 Billion Deal In Jeopardy (Forbes)
Spirit And Frontier Airlines Cancel Merger Plans—Opening Door For JetBlue’s Offer (Forbes)