California Attorney General Rob Bonta responded to a Court of Appeals decision that upheld the termination of the Northeast Alliance, a joint venture between American Airlines and JetBlue. The alliance allowed these major airlines to operate as a single entity on specific routes, raising concerns about reduced competition in an industry already facing consolidation challenges. On September 21, 2021, Attorney General Bonta, alongside the U.S. Department of Justice and a bipartisan coalition of states, initiated legal action against the airlines over this alliance. By July 2023, Bonta secured a final permanent injunction from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Attorney General Bonta remarked, "The court’s decision affirms what we know to be true: from more expensive tickets, to low quality service, American Airlines and JetBlue's Northeast Alliance was anticompetitive and harmful to consumers nationwide." He added that working with federal and state partners led to this significant victory for consumers. "Antitrust enforcement is about protecting the economy for everyone — whether for groceries or across the tech sector or in retail, I will continue to step in when our competitive market is threatened," he stated.
The decision impacts several high-traffic routes including those serving Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Long Beach, Burbank, Ontario, Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, and Santa Ana.
A copy of the decision can be found here.