US Sens Kohl, Hatch Raise Concerns On American Airlines, BA Plan
October 13 2009 - 11:00AM
Dow Jones News
Two leading U.S. senators on antitrust issues said Tuesday that
a plan by British Airways PLC (BAY.LN) and AMR Corp.'s (AMR)
American Airlines Inc. to expand their partnership "raises
significant competition issues," increasing pressure on U.S.
regulators reviewing the plan.
Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wisc., and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, expressed
their concerns in a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood and a Justice Department antitrust official, who are
reviewing an application for antitrust immunity that would allow
American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia to expand cooperation
within the oneworld alliance.
"While not expressing any views on the ultimate merits of this
application, we believe this alliance application raises
significant competition issues and we reiterate our views that the
DOT act cautiously," the senators wrote. Kohl is the chairman of
the Senate Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on antitrust,
competition policy and consumer rights, and Hatch is the panel's
ranking Republican.
-By Josh Mitchell, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6637;
joshua.mitchell@dowjones.com