DoT issues final order denying antitrust immunity for Hawaiian-JAL joint venture

The US DoT has issued a final order denying a request of antitrust immunity for Hawaiian Airlines’ proposed joint venture with Japan Airlines. The govt had already, in Oct 2019, tentatively denied the request for antitrust immunity. But Hawaiian submitted further information in an attempt to persuade the DoT to reverse course. In a March 13 final order, the DoT upheld its previous decision. “The joint applicants still have not demonstrated how the JV would function in terms of revenue sharing, pricing and marketing, even as they have added complexity to its scope and operations,” says the final order. “Under these circumstances, the department cannot find that the new submissions are sufficient to warrant a grant of [antitrust immunity] at this time.” <br/>