American Airlines wants Delta held to strict conditions for Minneapolis-to-Tokyo route

American Airlines thinks the US government erred last month in awarding Delta a coveted route from Minneapolis to Tokyo's close-in Haneda Airport, instead of American's proposed service from DFW International Airport. But with the DoT unlikely to reverse its decision, American argued in an objection filed Monday that the agency should at the very least put strict conditions on Delta that require the carrier to use the route to its full potential or turn it over to DFW. Last month, DOT awarded five daytime slots at Haneda Airport, a popular destination for business travelers that is much closer to Tokyo's downtown than the city's further out Narita Airport. American, United and Hawaiian received one daytime slot each, from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu, respectively. Delta, which unlike American and United does not have a partnership with a Japanese airline, received two routes, from Los Angeles and Minneapolis. That fifth slot, which went to Minneapolis, was the most fiercely contested, with American putting forward a competing DFW-to-Haneda proposal. Story has further details.<br/>