Delta to fight AA antitrust immunity over landing slots

The chief executive of Delta Air Lines reported on Friday that the airline will protest the granting of antitrust immunity to American Airlines in its proposed partnership with British Airways and Iberia, unless landing rights are granted to other airlines at London’s Heathrow Airport.

In a message sent to Delta employees, CEO Richard Anderson stated that the airline supports the joint venture “in principle,” but stressed that “AA and BA need to give up enough slots and gates so that everybody has unfettered access to Heathrow.”

On August 15, American Airlines, British Airways and Spain’s Iberia petitioned the U.S. Department of Transportation for immunity from antitrust regulations so that they will be able to cooperatively operates trans-Atlantic flights, jointly establish air fares for the flights, and to share revenue.

In the filing to the DOT, the carriers argued that the new Open Skies treaty that was signed in October of 2007 opened the door for other carriers to operate service to London.

A spokesman for American repeated the message on Friday when asked to respond to Anderson’s statement.

“We do not believe surrendering slots is necessary given the number of new entrants with service to Heathrow, which clearly demonstrates that slots are available through the open market and intra-alliance transfers,” Andy Backover, a spokesman for American, stressed.

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