Supreme Court Declines American-JetBlue Antitrust Appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear American Airlines' appeal of a lower court decision that found its former Northeast Alliance partnership with JetBlue Airways violated federal antitrust laws. The alliance allowed the airlines to coordinate flights and pool revenue in key Northeast markets but was ruled to have reduced competition and limited travelers’ choices. American Airlines argued that the ruling ignored consumer benefits and contradicted antitrust principles by not requiring proof of actual market harm. The Justice Department, joined by several states, successfully sued to end the alliance in 2021, citing the need to maintain airline industry competition. The Supreme Court's refusal to review the case upholds the lower court's decision, a move supported by both the Biden and Trump administrations. JetBlue had already terminated the partnership, lessening the case’s present impact.