BOSTON , -- American Airlines and JetBlue Airways requested Monday that a federal judge dismiss a government suit aimed at blocking a deal allowing the two airlines to cooperate in service in the Northeast.
Lawyers representing the airlines claimed that there is no evidence to suggest that airlines working together have resulted in lower fares or reduced service. The airlines claim that they have added new routes to the Northeast, increasing competition with Delta and United.
The case is currently pending at the Boston federal district court.
The Trump administration allowed American and JetBlue cooperation in the setting of schedules and service in New York City and Boston. The deal was re-examined by the Justice Department shortly after the Biden administration took office.
The Justice Department filed suit in September to stop the American-JetBlue deal. They claimed that it would hurt consumers by reducing competition within key air-travel markets. The deal would also make JetBlue less competitive in the United States' other regions, they argued.
