United Ends Lease Deal With Delta at Newark; DOJ Drops Suit
07 April 2016 - 5:30AM
Dow Jones News
WASHINGTON—United Continental Holdings Inc. has terminated a
deal to obtain takeoff-and-landing slots at Newark Liberty
International Airport from Delta Air Lines Inc., prompting the
Justice Department on Wednesday to drop its antitrust lawsuit
challenging the transaction.
The department sued the two airlines last November, claiming
United's agreement to acquire 24 slots from Delta would strengthen
United's already dominant position at its Newark hub, to the
detriment of consumers.
According to court documents filed Wednesday, United ended the
slot lease agreement in light of new action by the Federal Aviation
Administration to relax controls on slots at Newark.
In light of United's abandonment of the deal, the Justice
Department dropped its case.
"The FAA's action opens up Newark to more robust competition and
achieves the very outcome we sought in litigation: protecting
consumers from United's plan to enlarge its monopoly at Newark,"
Justice Department antitrust chief Bill Baer said in a
statement.
The airlines didn't immediately respond to requests for
comment.
Write to Brent Kendall at brent.kendall@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 06, 2016 15:15 ET (19:15 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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