Inside the Antitrust Challenge to the American Airlines-JetBlue Airways "Northeast Alliance".

A federal district court in Massachusetts has ruled that the Northeast Alliance between American Airlines and JetBlue Airways violated federal antitrust laws. The Alliance, which aimed to optimize the Parties' route networks in the Northeast, was found to have replaced direct competition with cooperation, weakened JetBlue's status as a disruptive competitor, and resembled market allocation agreements. Despite the Alliance providing benefits for consumers, the court determined that it amounted to an illegal restraint of trade. The decision highlights the scrutiny that collaborations among competitors can face under antitrust laws, even if they offer benefits. [Extracted from the article]