American Airlines has asked a US appeals court to reverse a judge’s decision that sided with the US Department of Justice and declared that its now-scrapped US Northeast partnership with JetBlue Airways was anticompetitive. American Airlines in a brief filed late on Wednesday told the Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals that while its joint venture with JetBlue is over, the judge’s ruling invalidating their partnership must be overturned because it threatens a wide range of other collaborations between competitors. American said US District Judge Leo Sorokin’s “sweeping” decision ruled against their partnership even though joint ventures are “virtually never” deemed illegal under antitrust law “because they usually have a pro-competitive rationale.” The airline’s lawyers said Sorokin’s ruling flouted US Supreme Court precedent and “wrongly terminated a beneficial commercial arrangement that added more flights, more seats, and more options for consumers without raising prices.” “If left unchecked, the district court’s decision will discourage fruitful and lawful collaboration that benefits consumers through increased output, decreased prices, and improved product quality,” American Airlines’ lawyers wrote. The Justice Department and JetBlue did not respond to requests for comment. Sorokin in May sided with the Justice Department and six states in a lawsuit challenging the joint venture that American and JetBlue entered into in 2020, called the “Northeast Alliance.” Through their partnership, American, the nation’s largest airline, and JetBlue, the sixth largest, joined forces for flights in and out of New York City and Boston, coordinating schedules and pooling revenue.<br/>
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An ex-Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to cut the engines of a passenger flight while off-duty and riding in an extra seat in the cockpit was released from jail pending trial Thursday, after an Oregon judge approved it with conditions that include keeping away from aircraft. Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Ryan made the decision as Joseph Emerson pleaded not guilty to reduced charges of reckless endangerment; he previously faced attempted murder charges. Emerson, of Pleasant Hill, California, has also pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew. The judge in that case also agreed that he could be released pending trial. Emerson was released from jail around 5 p.m. He and his wife, Sarah Stretch, shared a tearful embrace as he walked out. He declined to comment. Noah Horst, his lawyer, said the couple planned to drive home to California. The release conditions include that Emerson undergo mental health services, stay away from drugs and alcohol, and not come within 30 feet (9 meters) of an operable aircraft. His bail was set at $50,000 and he had to post 10% of that, or $5,000, to be released, Horst said. Emerson’s wife said she was happy her husband was coming home. Speaking to reporters through tears after the arraignment, she also said she was glad that the case has raised awareness about pilot mental health. “I’m saddened that this situation had to happen to my husband and to the people it affected. But I know that this has created a movement and momentum to help thousands of other pilots,” Stretch said.<br/>
A British Airways flight carrying more than 200 people above Windsor, UK missed an illegal drone by just 20 feet (6 metres), a report has revealed. The Boeing Dreamliner was heading to Montreal, Canada, from Heathrow carrying 216 passengers at nearly 3000 feet in July, when the near-miss happened. The details were revealed in a report by the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) which rated the incident a category-A, meaning there was a serious risk of collision. UKAB, which assesses risk incidents in UK airspace, reported that the plane was 20 feet above the drone and 60 feet away horizontally, leading the pilot to describe the risk of a collision as high. The drone was being flown at 2800 feet, more than seven times the usual maximum legal height for the devices of 400 feet. The report, which was first reported in the Daily Mail, said: “It was apparent that whilst it was very close, the drone would pass below and to their left. The drone was white, with multiple props but no lights.” The information was passed to the Heathrow control tower ‘in order that subsequent departures could be made aware of the sighting’. UKAB concluded: “In the board’s opinion the reported altitude and/or description of the object were sufficient to indicate that it could have been a drone. The board considered that the pilot’s overall account of the incident portrayed a situation where providence had played a major part in the incident and/or a definite risk of collision had existed.” It is understood that the pilot of the drone was never caught. If found, they could face up to five years in jail.<br/>
Russian nationalist Igor Girkin, who had said he wanted to challenge Vladimir Putin in a presidential election in March 2024, had his detention extended for six months on Dec 7 as he awaits trial on charges of inciting extremism. The ruling, announced by a Moscow court, extinguishes the already faint prospect that Girkin might be allowed to run. The 52-year-old is known in the West for his role in the shooting-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 with the loss of 298 passengers and crew. A Dutch court last year convicted him in absentia of murder. Girkin has denied involvement. The former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer had organised pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine since early 2014. Also known as Igor Strelkov, he has repeatedly said Russia faces upheaval unless the military leadership fights more effectively in Ukraine. He could be jailed for five years if convicted of "public calls to commit extremist activity".<br/>