Brussels, 12/05/2015 (Agence Europe) - On 12 May, the European Commission decided to make the commitments offered by the airlines Air France/KLM, Alitalia and Delta, all of which are members of the SkyTeam alliance, legally binding for a period of 10 years, in order to reduce obstacles to market entry or expansion on three transatlantic routes.
Initially, the European institution had concerns that the cooperation between these airlines could harm competition for all passengers on the Amsterdam-New York and Rome-New York routes and for premium passengers on the Paris-New York route. Following an in-depth examination, it is now satisfied that in their final form, the commitments made address its concerns.
The three companies will make take-off and landing slots available in the airports of Amsterdam, Rome and New York, in order to make it easier for newcomers to enter the marketplace. They will also conclude agreements which will allow competitors to offer tickets on their flights and will facilitate access to their connecting traffic and offer access to their loyalty schemes on all three routes. They will also provide data concerning their cooperation (see EUROPE 11182). (Élodie Lamer)