The judge hearing the US Justice Department’s antitrust case against American Airlines Group and JetBlue Airways has set a trial date for the second half of next year, reported Reuters.
US District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston scheduled the case to begin Sept. 26, 2022, according to court documents filed on Friday. The trial stems from an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Justice Department and six states over what is called the “Northeast Alliance” partnership between JetBlue and the world’s largest airline, American Airlines.
Related: DOJ & 6 States File Antitrust Suit Against American Airlines, JetBlue Deal
The suit alleges the deal would lead to higher fares in busy Northeastern US airports and seeks to block the plan, which was announced in July 2020 and approved by the US Transportation Department shortly before the end of the Trump administration.
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