The U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday granted final approval for Continental Airlines Inc. to participate in a new joint venture with members of the Star Alliance group of carriers. The move came two weeks after the Justice Department blasted the plan as being harmful to consumers and competition.
The DOT, which has sole authority to give antitrust immunity to international airline cooperation agreements, had given a provisional go-ahead to the plan in early April and had been expected to issue its final order on June 1. But behind-the scenes wrangling with new Obama administration appointees at the Justice Department delayed the process.
The Wall Street Journal.
