After eight years of litigation, a federal judge in Atlanta on Wednesday dismissed an antitrust case against Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways that had accused the airlines of illegally price-fixing when they first imposed passenger baggage fees that are now standard for the flying public.
In a 95-page ruling, US District Judge Timothy Batten granted summary judgment to Delta and AirTran, which was absorbed by Southwest Airlines in 2011. Batten decided there was insufficient evidence to undergird claims that airline executives had used multiple venues—including public quarterly earnings calls with security analysts, industry conferences, joint negotiations with Atlanta airport officials and an informal “grapevine” to coordinate their introduction of the fees.
“Even when viewed in the light most favorable to [the] plaintiffs, the evidence in this case simply does not permit a reasonable fact-finder to infer the existence of a conspiracy, as it does not tend to exclude the possibility that the alleged conspirators acted independently,” Batten said. “There is no genuine issue for trial.”
Full Content: Law 360
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
T-Mobile’s Acquisition of Ka’ena Corporation Receives FCC Approval
Apr 26, 2024 by
CPI
UK Regulator Announces Two New Senior Executive Appointments
Apr 26, 2024 by
CPI
Paramount Global and Skydance Media Near Merger Deal, Eyeing CEO Change
Apr 26, 2024 by
CPI
BHP Unveils £31bn Mining Megamerger Proposal with Anglo American
Apr 25, 2024 by
nhoch@pymnts.com
ByteDance Prefers Shutdown Over Sale of TikTok Amid US Ban Threats
Apr 25, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Economics of Criminal Antitrust
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Navigating Economic Expert Work in Criminal Antitrust Litigation
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
The Increased Importance of Economics in Cartel Cases
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
A Law and Economics Analysis of the Antitrust Treatment of Physician Collective Price Agreements
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Information Exchange In Criminal Antitrust Cases: How Economic Testimony Can Tip The Scales
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI