American Airlines And JetBlue Airways Tap Their Alliance Amid Antitrust Regulatory Opposition

American Airlines Group, Inc AAL and JetBlue Airways Corp JBLU looked to expand domestic and short-haul international flying next year under their Northeast Alliance (NEA).
They looked to add a wide variety of new nonstop destinations set to take off from New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in 2023.
Next year, the NEA will fly nearly 300 daily departures from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) and serve 49 of the top 50 global markets.
Across New York's three major airports, the NEA will fly more than 500 daily departures in 2023 and nearly 200 daily departures in Boston.
That U.S. antitrust regulators sought to dissolve the NEA, Bloomberg reports.
The carriers challenged assertions by U.S. attorneys that the arrangement is a virtual merger that could cost consumers over $700 million annually through higher fares.
The expansion will add new flights by JetBlue, with nonstop service from LaGuardia to Nassau, Bahamas, and Bermuda, pending government approval, and flights to Hyannis, Massachusetts, and Atlanta. American is dropping LaGuardia-Atlanta service.
JetBlue looked to bring back flights between Newark and Montego Bay, Jamaica, and expand service between Boston and Vancouver.
American plans to add flights from LaGuardia to six new U.S. cities.
Dave Fintzen, vice president of Northeast Alliance, JetBlue, said, "As we continue to enhance the Northeast Alliance and link more destinations with new nonstop choices, customers finally have a compelling alternative to the carriers that have dominated the market for too long."
Price Action: AAL shares traded higher by 0.22% at $13.56 in the premarket on the last check Monday.

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