American Airlines Loses Fight Over Delta Airport Slots

American Airlines Loses Fight Over Delta Airport Slots
An American Airlines aircraft taxis as a Delta Air Lines aircraft lands at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 24, 2022. Joshua Roberts/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

LUXEMBOURG—American Airlines, which gave up rights to two airport slots to Delta Air Lines’ in 2013, on Thursday lost a court appeal to have the European Union cancel them for lack of use.

American gave up the takeoff and landing rights at Heathrow and Philadelphia airports to get antitrust approval for its merger with US Airway. Airlines may keep a slot in perpetuity provided they use it regularly. The European Commission picked Delta to take up the slots.