US antitrust lawsuit against American, JetBlue to go forward, judge says

A US judge on Thursday said that the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against American Airlines Group and JetBlue Airways Corp would go forward. A trial in the case has been set for Sept. 26. In its lawsuit filed in September in Boston, the government asked Judge Leo Sorokin to order the airlines to end their "Northeast Alliance" partnership, saying it would lead to higher fares in busy Northeastern airports. The agreement allows American and JetBlue to sell each other's flights in their New York-area and Boston networks and link frequent flyer programs, giving them more muscle to compete with United and Delta in the Northeast. The alliance was announced in July 2020 and approved by the US Transportation Department shortly before the end of the Trump administration. American and JetBlue denied wrongdoing and asked Sorokin to dismiss the lawsuit.<br/>