American Airlines & US Airways Joint Merger News.

We just heard that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia set a trial date of Nov. 25, 2013, in connection with the lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ). We are pleased the Court has set a schedule that will enable us to resolve this litigation in a reasonable timeframe. Given the significant benefits this merger will deliver to consumers, employees and other stakeholders, and that the creation of the new American Airlines will provide much-needed competition, our duty remains clear: We are more committed than ever to bringing our airlines together and look forward to making our case for the new American in court.

The people of American Airlines and US Airways simply want the opportunity to compete together for customers and to enhance competition with the largest airlines in the U.S. - United, Delta and Southwest - and a number of fast-growing low-cost carriers.

We continue to be invigorated by the outpouring of support we have received from all of you in the past few weeks. It's clear that you share our conviction that the new American is about growth and bringing new choices to the customers we serve. We will have more information soon about ways that all of you can participate in actively showing your support for the merger. In the meantime, let's continue to do what we do best: running great airlines and providing the outstanding service our customers have come to expect from us.

Thank you for your continued hard work and dedication and all that you will be doing this weekend to keep our operations running smoothly over a busy holiday. We look forward to the day when we will stand together as one airline to deliver the compelling benefits of the new American.