Aeroméxico and Delta Air Lines will continue their alliance

A U.S. Federal Court (the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit) overturned the order issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT), which sought to dissolve the cross-border alliance between Aeromexico and Delta Air Lines.

The court has described the decision made by the DOT as “arbitrary and capricious,” since the U.S. regulator based its analysis almost exclusively on congestion at Mexico City International Airport, even though the alliance has been protected by antitrust immunity, which was granted in consideration of the Mexico-U.S. border market.

Following this ruling, the alliance has survived, prompting reflection on the commercial relationship that has proven to boost passenger traffic and binational connectivity for nearly a decade.

It is important to note that this alliance has lasted for 10 years, and Delta holds a 20% stake in Aeromexico. The ruling not only preserves antitrust immunity but also allows the two airlines to coordinate schedules and prices on routes between Mexico and the U.S.

Agustín Durand, Delta Air Lines' sales manager for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, said the company is pleased with the news.

“This partnership between the two airlines allows us to operate as a single airline between Mexico and the United States; over the past year, this joint venture has been under review by U.S. authorities, and fortunately, we recently received the good news that it will continue and that we’re in it for the long haul,” he said.

Nearly 10 years of the joint venture have resulted in more than 63 million passengers carried by the two airlines combined.