American Airlines has petitioned the United States Court of Appeals to reverse the initial decision from May that resulted in the Northeast Alliance being dissolved alongside JetBlue Airways.
Within the intricate realm of legal jurisprudence, American has no intention of reestablishing a business relationship with JetBlue.
On the contrary, it seeks the reversal of the initial decision in order to prevent any hindrance to subsequent collaborations.
In an effort to increase their competitiveness in the Boston and New York markets, American and JetBlue formed the partnership.
American argued that Sorokin's decision was overly general and would prevent the airline from collaborating with other airlines in the future.
American acknowledged in a brief submitted to the court that its Northeast Alliance with JetBlue has concluded, but warned that future partnerships with other airlines are jeopardized by the initial decision "because they typically have a pro-competitive rationale."
A lawsuit was filed by the Justice Department and six states regarding the Northeast Alliance, an agreement that permitted American and JetBlue to share revenue and coordinate schedules.
On the basis of antitrust concerns, the DOJ is also suing to block a proposed merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines.
Without notifying the Department of Justice, the original ruling in the Northeast Alliance case prohibits both airlines from collaborating with others for ten years.
This is the United States making at least its second appeal of the initial decision.