DoT grants British Airways-American Airlines, oneworld anti-trust immunity

On 13-Feb-2010, the US Department of Transportation tentatively authorised American Airlines and British Airways' application for anti-trust immunity to permit a trans-Atlantic joint venture that will allow joint pricing, scheduling and marketing by the two carriers, as well as with other oneworld members, Iberia, Royal Jordanian and Finnair. The decision was an important win for British Airways, which is surprisingly only to be required to give up four pairs of daily slots at Heathrow as a condition of approval. It is also an important step in the US-EU open skies negotiations and, in turn, for the global airline competitive structure.