US gives final OK for Aer Lingus to join transatlantic joint venture

Aer Lingus received final US approval Monday to join a transatlantic joint venture with other major airlines. The US DoT in November granted tentative approval for Aer Lingus to join the venture consisting of American Airlines, British Airways, OpenSkies, Iberia and Finnair. The announcement will give the joint venture control of more than half of the US-Ireland passenger flight market. The approval will integrate Aer Lingus into the venture’s network planning, pricing and sales. Aer Lingus controls 44% of the US-Ireland flight market, a figure that will rise to 60% for the alliance. In 2015, IAG, the parent company of British Airways, Iberia and OpenSkies, acquired Aer Lingus. The group petitioned in 2018 to allow Aer Lingus to join the alliance. Despite the alliance’s majority market share, the US regulator noted steps that it said would support competition. As a condition of approval, the department proposed the venture maintain commitments to release landing and takeoff gate slots at London airports to competitors. Those were imposed when the alliance was first approved in 2010.<br/>