Bruce Barnard | Mar 10, 2010 10:21AM EST
American Airlines, British Airways and Spain's Iberia offered to give up landing and take off slots at airports in New York and London in a bid to win anti-trust clearance from European Union regulators for a planned trans-Atlantic cargo and passenger alliance.
The three carriers offered to cede slots at London Heathrow, London Gatwick and New York's JFK airport to rival airlines, the EU's executive Commission said Wednesday.
The Commission said it will ask "interested parties" to comment by April 10 whether their offer goes far enough to free up competition and encourage other carriers to launch services from London to New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Miami.
The U.S. Department of Transportation gave tentative approval for the alliance in February on condition the three carriers, members of the oneworld alliance, give up four pairs of daily slots at heavily congested Heathrow airport.
The DOT said the alliance, if approved, would provide "travelers and shippers with a variety of benefits including lower fares on more routes, increased services, better schedules and reduced travel and connection times."
If the alliance is approved by Brussels and Washington, the carriers will share revenue and profits and co-ordinate capacity, routes, fares and sales on services between the United States, Canada, Mexico, the 27-nation EU and Norway and Switzerland.
Contact Bruce Barnard at brucebarnard47@hotmail.com.