JetBlue, American hint at revived partnership despite court loss

American Airlines Group Inc and JetBlue Airways Corp still want to team up in the Northeastern US after an earlier pact was scuttled by US courts.

American Chief Executive Officer Robert Isom and JetBlue President Marty St George on Tuesday each hinted that a new partnership was still possible, even after a federal appeals court last week upheld an earlier finding that their Northeast Alliance violated antitrust laws and had to be dismantled.

“I do think it was pro-consumer for JetBlue and American to get together,” St George said at the Skift Aviation Forum in Dallas. “I certainly think there is a structure that could work going forward. We could work with other carriers too.”

The government’s case that ended the alliance was part of the Biden administration’s aggressive posture on corporate mergers in several industries to ensure combinations don’t hurt consumers or drive up prices. JetBlue’s planned acquisition of Spirit Airlines Inc also was blocked for those reasons.

Analysts have suggested that President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration will take a less-hostile stance on corporate deal activity.

American is still reviewing the appeals court decision on its alliance with JetBlue and is weighing its options, Isom said, without specifying whether the carrier will appeal to a higher court. JetBlue did not join American in appealing the initial court ruling against the partnership.

“We’re not done yet figuring out how to best serve our customers,” Isom said at the Skift Aviation Forum. “That doesn’t stop us from going out and taking a look at the marketplace.”

The two carriers created the alliance to better compete against rivals Delta Air Lines Inc and United Airlines Holdings Inc in the US northeast, including the New York City and Boston markets.