American Airlines Group Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp. asked a judge to throw out the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust suit challenging the alliance between the two carriers.
The suit, filed in a Massachusetts federal court in September, alleged the American-JetBlue agreement would eliminate head-to-head competition in key traffic hubs in the Northeast, hurting travelers across the country by diminishing JetBlue’s impetus to compete with American. That could mean higher prices, fewer options and poorer customer service, the suit alleged. Six states and the District of Columbia joined the Justice Department.
