Robbins Geller Defeats Airlines’ Motion to Dismiss Antitrust Case

In 2020, two of the largest U.S. airlines by fleet size, American Airlines and JetBlue, partnered to operate flights together in and out of Boston Logan International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport, four of the largest airports in the United States. One court has called the partnership “a modern-day version of a nineteenth-century business trust.” Airline customers, represented by Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP and co-counsel, filed a lawsuit alleging the partnership harmed competition in the market and caused customers to pay higher prices in violation of antitrust law.

The court held oral argument on defendants’ motion to dismiss the case on August 14, 2024, and on September 6, 2024, the court denied defendants’ motion.

According to the complaint, the agreement between JetBlue and American has harmed consumers and competition by eliminating competition between two airlines with large market shares in the Northeast. Prior to the agreement, American and JetBlue had the largest and fourth-largest market share for flights to and from the northeastern United States, respectively. Together, they transformed themselves from competitors to collaborators, effectively creating a single optimized network.

Both defendants profited from the anticompetitive conduct as prices paid by consumers have risen. Both airlines’ revenue increased following the agreement in 2020, despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Robbins Geller partners David W. Mitchell, Robert M. Rothman, Alexandra S. Bernay, and Arthur L. Shingler III, and co-counsel represent the plaintiffs.

About Robbins Geller

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world’s leading complex class action firms, representing plaintiffs in securities fraud, shareholder derivative, antitrust, corporate takeover, and consumer fraud and privacy cases. With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the world’s largest plaintiffs’ firms and the Firm’s attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities, antitrust, and consumer class action recoveries in history.

Over the last decade, our Firm has been ranked #1 on the ISS Securities Class Action Services law firm rankings for six out of the last ten years for securing the most monetary relief for investors. In the last four years, Robbins Geller recovered $6.6 billion for investors in securities-related class action cases – over $2.2 billion more than any other law firm during that time. The Firm secured the largest-ever securities fraud class action settlement – $7.2 billion – in In re Enron Corp. Securities Litigation. 

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In re American Airlines/JetBlue Antitrust Litigation, No. 1:22-cv-07374-AMD-TAM (E.D.N.Y.).