American Airlines, JetBlue Seek to Dismiss Justice Department Suit
Photo Credit: American and JetBlue have asked a judge to dismiss the Department of Justice's suit against their alliance. Flickr / Glenn Beltz
Skift Take
American and JetBlue executives have argued that the Justice Department's suit against their alliance is, simply put, "wrong." Now, they've made good on that opposition and have asked a district court to dismiss the lawsuit. Will the judge agree?
American Airlines and JetBlue Airways want a court to throw out the U.S. Justice Department's suit against their Northeast Alliance. Their request makes good on months of statements arguing that the regulator's claims have little merit, and that the alliance will bring more — not less — competition to travelers in the northeastern U.S.
The carriers argued that the DOJ failed to demonstrate actual harm to consumers from the alliance, and show that American and JetBlue together have "market power" — or the ability to raise prices by restricting capacity — in their motion to dismiss filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on Monday. They characterized the claims as "defective."
"We’re going full speed ahead in expanding, as we should. That’s the entire point: That this is g
