JetBlue has decided not to appeal the May 2023 federal court decision that deemed its alliance with American Airlines to be anti-competitive.
In an effort to compete with Delta and United’s dominant positions in the northeastern United States, JetBlue, and American Airlines have been working together in a few cities since 2020. The Northeast Alliance (NEA) is the term given to this official collaboration.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) soon after filed an antitrust case, despite the fact that the Department of Transport (DOT) had already approved this transaction.
It is thought that JetBlue decided not to appeal the judgment in light of another antitrust lawsuit that is still pending against the airline: its purchase of Spirit Airlines.
The fifth-largest airline group in the US would be formed as a result of this $3.8 billion agreement. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit, claiming that the acquisition of Spirit Airlines by JetBlue might hurt competition and negatively impact customers by raising costs.
American Airlines, the other member of the Northeast Alliance, has nonetheless declared that it is going to appeal the most recent court decision.
