The United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has closed consultations on commitments offered by American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Finnair in relation to their operation of the Atlantic Joint Business Agreement and its potential competitive impacts. The authority has proposed accepting the commitments.
The authority is investigating whether the agreement could prevent, restrict, or distort competition on the routes between London Heathrow and Boston, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Miami International.
The Atlantic Joint Business Agreement allows the airlines to coordinate and cooperate on transatlantic flights. Specifically, it lets them share revenue, coordinate routes and selling/distribution, and contribute aircraft and flight slots. All five airlines are members of the Oneworld alliance and three, British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus, are owned by IAG International Airlines Group.
The CMA has been investigating the business agreement since 2018. To appease the regulator, American Airlines and British Airways have offered to make slot pairs available to competitors on the Boston, Chicago, and Miami routes. The two have also offered to carry a minimum number of point-to-point passengers on the Dallas route, and have committed to cooperating with competing airlines on these routes, including connecting passengers "on preferential terms".
The CMA says it intends to accept these commitments unless it is persuaded otherwise. The consultation period, which closed on April 23, offered stakeholders the opportunity to do so.
