Antitrust: Commission accepts commitments by SkyTeam members Air France/KLM, Alitalia and Delta on three transatlantic routes

The European Commission has adopted a decision that renders legally binding commitments offered by Air France/KLM, Alitalia and Delta, members of the SkyTeam airline alliance, to lower barriers to entry or expansion on three transatlantic routes. The Commission had concerns that the cooperation between these airlines may harm competition for all passengers on the Amsterdam-New York and Rome-New York routes and for premium passengers on the Paris-New York route, in breach of EU antitrust rules. After market testing commitments offered by Air France/KLM, Alitalia and Delta, the Commission is satisfied that in their final form they address its concerns. It has therefore decided to make them legally binding on these airlines for a period of ten years. Commissioner in charge of competition policy, Margrethe Vestager, said: “Airlines can cooperate to enlarge their network if it makes them more efficient and allows them to better serve their passengers. With today’s decision I want to ensure that passengers flying from Paris, Amsterdam or Rome to New York continue to benefit from competitive prices and choice. We have now concluded our reviews of the three major worldwide airline alliances – and are one step closer to a genuine level playing field in transatlantic aviation markets.” The press release is available in EN, DE, FR, NL and IT.