Leo Sorokin, US District Judge, ruled in favor of the Justice Department. The DoJ brought the lawsuit in September 2021 against American and JetBlue. The partnership between the two airlines in the Northeast was at issue, and the DoJ claimed that it was a merger of their Boston and New York operations.
In his ruling, Sorokin stated that the decision “makes the two airlines partners with a shared interest in their success, both individually and jointly, rather than fierce rivals who regularly compete in the market of competition.”
The airlines have been ordered to terminate their partnership in 30 days. This will likely affect their operations as the summer travel season approaches. JetBlue’s spokesperson stated that the airline is currently evaluating the decision and its next steps.
The spokesperson stated that they were disappointed with the decision. Through the NEA JetBlue was able to grow significantly in airports that are constrained to the northeast, bringing its low fares and excellent service to more routes.