Delta has issued a statement in regard to the withdrawal of the application for antitrust immunity by six members of the SkyTeam alliance:
“Delta and its SkyTeam partners Northwest, KLM, Air France, Alitalia and CSA Czech have notified the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) of their decision to withdraw an application for antitrust immunity (ATI) involving their trans-Atlantic operations. The decision to withdraw the application was made based on the precedent that DOT typically does not alter its initial rulings.
Although the application has been withdrawn, Delta is still committed to ATI and the customer benefits it provides for fair and constructive competition between international alliances. Delta feels that DOT’s decision not to approve ATI represents a major retreat from the open market and pro-competitive policies the U.S. Government has pursued since 1993. ATI would benefit the traveling public by allowing Delta and its SkyTeam partners to offer international customers more transatlantic service, shorter travel times, more departure times and better opportunities to find discounted fares by choosing alternative routes to a destination. Delta will continue working with its SkyTeam partners in building on the existing customer service offerings within the bounds of the current immunity. The six members of the alliance will renew this application for expanded transatlantic immunity at the appropriate time.”
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