Washington, D.C. — In response to news that Judge William Young has ruled in favor of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division & seven state Attorneys General and has enjoined the JetBlue-Spirit merger following weeks of trial late last year, the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.

“This is an enormous victory for travelers, workers, and local communities, and another huge win for antitrust enforcers at the DOJ,” said William J. McGee, Senior Fellow for Aviation and Travel at the American Economic Liberties Project. “For the first time in 40+ years, a judge has flat out blocked an airline merger to protect us all from an even more consolidated industry, agreeing with the DOJ’s rigorous and well-argued case that the deal would hurt competition and raise prices across the board. We’re thrilled to see the court recognize that the answer to the airline industry’s woes—from fewer routes to malfunctioning planes—is not more concentration. Congratulations to the DOJ on yet another successful merger challenge.”

“Airline executives and their Wall Street backers are now on notice,” McGee added. “The days of relentless consolidation are over. We hope to see judges presiding over future airline mergers, like Alaska-Hawaiian, follow Judge Young’s lead.”

Read Economic Liberties’ original statement ahead of the trial here.

For more information on the harms of a JetBlue-Spirit merger, read our fact sheet, Matt Stoller’s oped in the Boston Globe, and our comments to the FTC and DOJ calling for a moratorium on airline mergers.

Learn more about Economic Liberties here

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The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.