Uk Watchdog Pushes Aa, Ba To Free Slots

The UK Competition and Markets Authority CMA has asked American Airlines and British Airways to give up transatlantic slots to ease competition concerns on key UK-US routes.

This follows a CMA investigation into the Atlantic Joint Business Agreement AJBA, a partnership between British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, American Airlines and Finnair, that enables them to co-ordinate transatlantic services.

Airline alliances can deliver broader economic benefits, such as enhanced connectivity and new services. But the CMA has concerns about the AJBAs impact on key UK-US routes, Juliette Enser , Executive Director of Competition Enforcement at the CMA, said in a statement.

Accepting these commitments could address those concerns and protect passengers on the routes, including by making it easier for other airlines to compete, and bring our investigation to a close while allowing the AJBA to continue to operate.

As part of these commitments, American Airlines and British Airways have agreed to release slot pairs on three major UK-US routes: London-Boston, London-Miami, and London-Chicago.