Los Angeles, CaliforniaJan. 11, 2023Flights prepare to take off at LAX on Jan. 11, 2023 after an FAA computer problem.
Carolyn Cole | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
JetBlue Airways said Wednesday that it won’t appeal a federal judge’s decision to block its partnership in the northeast U.S. with American Airlines. American said last month that it would challenge the ruling.
New York-based JetBlue is in the process of trying to acquire budget carrier Spirit Airlines, a deal that has already been challenged by the Justice Department as the Biden administration seeks to crack down on consolidation it finds hurts competition.
JetBlue’s deal to buy Spirit came together after JetBlue and American launched a partnership in the Northeast. The so-called Northeast Alliance, approved during the last days of the Trump administration, allows the two carriers to share passengers and revenue and to coordinate schedules.
But a federal judge ruled in May that that partnership was anticompetitive, ordering the two airlines to undo the alliance.
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