American, US Airways settle DOJ lawsuit; merger to close in December

摘要

Just 13 days before an antitrust trial was scheduled to start in a US federal court, American Airlines and US Airways settled with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in November, agreeing with DOJ to divest slots and facilities at several airports-including 52 slot pairs at Washington National Airport (DCA)-to enable the mega-merger of the two airlines to proceed. DOJ had filed a surprise antitrust lawsuit in August to stop the planned merger, but ultimately backed down and accepted a settlement the department said would "enhance systemwide competition in the airline industry resulting in more choices and more competitive airfares for consumers."