Antitrust Immunity

New York’s JetBlue Airways has urged the Trump Administration to make conditions to the future granting of antitrust immunity (ATI) between airlines “more robust”, as the carrier expressed concerns for the tentatively approved joint venture of Qantas and American Airlines.

Qantas and American Airlines this week made their final push to convince US officials to approve a proposed new Joint Business Agreement (JBA). In their joint reply to the US Department of Transportation (DOT), the airlines reiterated the need for a expedited decision, emphasising the wide-ranging support and benefits antitrust immunity will provide, and which has been “virtually unopposed”.