Deal could allow airline merger to proceed
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department says it has reached an agreement to allow American Airlines and USAirways to merge, creating the world’s biggest airline.
The agreement requires the airlines to scale back the size of the merger at Washington’s Reagan National Airport and in other big cities.
In August, the government sued to block the merger, saying it would restrict competition and drive up prices for consumers.
The airlines have said their deal would increase competition by creating another big competitor to United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, which grew through recent mergers.
The settlement reached Tuesday would require approval by a federal judge in Washington. It would require American and US Airways to give up takeoff and landing rights or slots at Reagan National and New York’s LaGuardia Airport and gates at airports in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami to lowcost carriers to offset the impact of the merger.
Attorney General Eric Holder said the agreement would ensure more competition on non-stop and connecting routes throughout the country. The department called the slot and gate divestitures at key airports “groundbreaking.”
Doug Parker, the US Airways CEO who will lead the new company, said, “This is very good news and we are grateful to all who have made it happen.” He thanked poli- ticians and business officials who had joined his airline in lobbying for the merger.
The companies expect to complete the merger in December.
Six states had joined the lawsuit to block the merger, fearing the loss of flights and jobs at their airports. The Justice Department said American and US Airways agreed to maintain for three years the US Airways hubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia and Phoenix and American hubs at Miami, Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International.
If the settlement is accepted, the combined American and US Airways would operate 44 fewer daily departures at Reagan National and 12 fewer at LaGuardia.