LATAM Airlines says Brazil watchdog approves deal with American

LATAM Airlines said Tuesday that Brazil's antitrust authority Cade had approved its joint business agreement with American Airlines Group without restrictions. LATAM said its agreement with American Airlines, and a similar accord with IAG, had now been approved by authorities in Uruguay, Colombia and Brazil. The agreement seeks to help the airlines coordinate schedules and prices for flights, and would allow American and IAG to grow in South America by offering more connections and lower fares. Chile, which has previously raised competition concerns, has yet to give its approval. The deal also still requires approval by the US DoT and that will only happen when an Open Skies treaty between the US and Brazil goes into effect, according to a source familiar with the situation. <br/>