The U.S. Supreme Court rejected American Airlines’ request to revive their terminated partnership with JetBlue which ended their route and revenue coordination efforts in the Northeast.
American Airlines sought to reverse the First Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling which supported the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit that claimed the alliance would decrease competition and increase prices. The high court’s decision not to review the case maintained the First Circuit Court of Appeals’ original ruling.
American Airlines and JetBlue established their “Northeast Alliance” in 2020 to operate flights together from New York and Boston. The Transportation Department granted approval for the partnership during Trump’s first term but the Biden administration filed a lawsuit in 2021 because of competition issues.
A federal judge in Boston issued a 2023 decision that the alliance broke antitrust laws which led to its dissolution. The appeals court confirmed the ruling in November.
American Airlines defended the alliance by stating it delivered better service while expanding consumer options but the Justice Department insisted it restricted competition between two major regional players. The Trump administration supported the antitrust victory from his second term even though it maintained a business-friendly stance.
