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Germany's antitrust agency has decided against opening proceedings against Lufthansa over steep price increases following the bankruptcy of former rival Air Berlin last year. Air Berlin ended operations in October. That left Lufthansa with a de facto monopoly on several domestic routes for a time. Federal Cartel Office president Andreas Mundt said Lufthansa tickets were an average 25-30% more expensive than a year earlier following Air Berlin's bankruptcy, prompting many complaints. But he said the increase, "though significant, does not justify launching abuse proceedings." Lufthansa and EasyJet bought parts of Air Berlin, and EasyJet is now operating on German domestic routes. Mundt noted that Air Berlin's bankruptcy reduced the available capacity and EasyJet's arrival then brought down prices. <br/>

The codeshare tie-up between United Airlines and Boutique Air gives the US major extensive reach into smaller communities, particularly from its Denver hub, while giving the regional operator both passenger feed and a leg up as it looks to grow its extensive Essential Air Service (EAS)-focused operation. The deal expands on an existing interline agreement, in place since May 2017, by putting United’s code on Boutique’s flights throughout the regional carrier’s 30-destination network, including 7 served nonstop from Denver International, a United hub. Boutique, which started out flying surveillance missions for the US govt in 2007, did not get into the scheduled-service business until 2014. It has grown quickly and is eyeing adding more cities, which will benefit the communities it serves as well as its newest partner. <br/>