The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it had launched an investigation into the transatlantic joint venture between British Airways (BA, London Heathrow), Iberia (IB, Madrid Barajas), American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth), and Finnair (AY, Helsinki Vantaa).
The competition watchdog said that it had opened the probe on October 11, 2018, and expected to conclude it in March 2019. The investigation is conducted under the British Competition Act from 1998, as well as Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) which regulates competition, joint ventures, and other forms of cooperation between companies that could adversely affect customers.
In particular, the investigation concerns restrictions imposed on the airlines participating in the joint venture, which are due to expire in 2020.
Upon the formation of the joint venture in 2010, the European Commission accepted commitments from the airlines in relation to six routes, namely from London to each of Dallas/Fort Worth, Boston, Miami Int'l, Chicago O'Hare, and New York,...
