Delta, Virgin Atlantic file for anti-trust immunity
Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic Airways have filed an application with the US Department of Transportation (DoT) seeking anti-trust immunity for their planned trans-Atlantic joint venture.
If approved by competition regulators, the partnership would allow the two carriers to join forces on a series of sectors between the US and UK, coordinating flight schedules and pricing.
“Our proposed joint venture will mean an expanded schedule with more frequencies and destinations for customers travelling between the key business markets in the US and the UK,” said Delta’s president, Ed Bastian. “Approval of anti-trust immunity would allow travellers to take full advantage of all the aspects of the Delta-Virgin joint venture and enjoy the benefits of increased competition, particularly on flights to and from London Heathrow Airport.”
If approved, the two carriers would operate a total of 31 peak-day round-trip flights between the UK and North America, 23 of which would operate at London Heathrow. In their filing, Delta and Virgin noted that nearly 60% of existing slots at Heathrow are controlled by British Airways and American Airlines in their joint venture.
Delta already operates a trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia, and the new joint venture would pave the way for five-way coordination of trans-Atlantic routes between North America, the UK and continental Europe. If anti-trust immunity is awarded, Delta also plans to launch a new service between Heathrow and Seattle.
Last year, Atlanta-based Delta agreed to a 49% equity stake in Virgin Atlantic’s parent company.