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Related Newslog Items 21 July 2010 The U.S. Department of Transportation made final its approval for antitrust immunity among oneworld partners. American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia now can implement a transatlantic joint venture and join oneworld members Finnair and Royal Jordanian in tighter alliance partnerships. Like the European Commission, DOT set conditions on approval, notably the transfer of slots at London Heathrow to competitors for new transatlantic services.
14 July 2010 The European Commission accepted "remedies" proposed by American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia for their planned transatlantic joint venture. Concessions offered by the airlines and accepted by EC include surrendering slots at London Heathrow or London Gatwick airports for flights to Boston, New York, Dallas and Miami; making available slots at New York JFK for services to London; and combining fares, offering connections and linking loyalty programs with other airlines. "We have analyzed these commitments, we have consulted other players in the market and we have concluded that the remedies the airlines have introduced will secure for passengers the benefits of the alliance together with the prospect of additional services provided by other operators," according EC vice president responsible for competition policy Joaquín Almunia. The U.S. Department of Transportation tentatively approved the proposed antitrust-immunized JV. Final approval is expected soon. 14 July 2010 The European Commission cleared the proposed British Airways-Iberia merger, concluding that "the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area or any substantial part of it." In examining the London-Madrid and London-Barcelona markets for example, EC determined that the merged entity would "continue to face sufficient competition from other carriers active on these routes, and therefore that passengers will have adequate alternatives to fly on these routes after the merger." 7 July 2010 DOT finalized approvals for American, Delta and Hawaiian airlines to serve Tokyo's downtown Haneda Airport. American Airlines said it would begin daily service from New York JFK effective 20 January 2011; Delta won the right to offer daily service from Detroit and Los Angeles; and Hawaiian Airlines announced 31 October 2010 as the start date for flights from Honolulu. The U.S. Department of Transportation made available the new route authorities following completion in December 2009 of a U.S.-Japan air services pact. 8 June 2010 The oneworld alliance formally invited India's Kingfisher Airlines to join. Oneworld members expect Kingfisher to begin full participation within 18 to 24 months. Oneworld founder British Airways reached a bilateral codeshare deal with Kingfisher, with "implementation later this month," according to BA CEO Willie Walsh. 8 April 2010 British Airways and Spain's Iberia signed a merger agreement and expect the transaction to be completed "in late 2010." The proposed merger, first publicly announced in November 2009, requires approval from the European Commission and both companies' shareholders. After approval, BA and Iberia would "retain their current operations and operate under their individual brands," according to a joint statement. 2 April 2010 American Airlines, British Airways and three other oneworld allies will accept U.S. regulators' conditions for antitrust immunity. Though the carriers told the U.S. Department of Transportation that they object to slot divestures required for approval, they nonetheless asked DOT to finalize the tentative decision "as quickly as possible." During a public comment period that closed this week, Virgin Atlantic again requested "a wider spectrum of remedies" to help maintain balanced competition, including "checks" on British Airways' "considerable market power over corporate customers." 31 March 2010 "Delta may be first" to partner with Canada's WestJet, according to a WestJet spokesman quoted by Reuters. WestJet in 2008 announced a cooperative program--but not a codeshare deal--with the oneworld alliance to offer Canadian companies "special rates." In 2009, WestJet said it would focus resources on an interline deal and eventual codeshare pact with Delta partner Air France-KLM as it delayed a planned codeshare alliance with Southwest Airlines. 31 March 2010 American Airlines and JetBlue Airways announced plans to facilitate "simple connections" between some domestic JetBlue flights and international services operated by AA from New York JFK and Boston to 12 overseas destinations, including Barcelona, London, Sao Paulo and Tokyo. The two airlines also plan to cooperate by interlining flights operated by JetBlue from JFK and Boston to 18 U.S. cities. 16 March 2010 ANA and Continental Airlines on 28 March will begin sharing codes on transpacific and beyond-hub services. The partners will cross-sell ANA's Tokyo-U.S. flights and certain domestic Japan flights, and Continental flights between Houston and Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. 16 March 2010 British Airways announced contingency plans ahead of a planned cabin crew union strike called for 20-22 March. The airline intends to serve "60 percent of customers originally booked to fly on these days" by operating 60 percent of longhaul and "some" shorthaul flights from Heathrow (supplemented by 22 leased aircraft and crews); "all" longhaul and "more than half" of shorthaul flights from Gatwick; and "all" flights to and from London City airport. Flights by BA subsidiary OpenSkies are unaffected. BA is offering rebooking options and "has also agreed with 40 other carriers that customers can be rebooked free of charge during the actual strike period," according to the airline. For a second strike planned for 27-30 March, the airline has not changed or cancelled the "the vast majority" of scheduled flights.
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