Overview
- This week the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the Department of Transportation’s 2025 order that would have ended most cooperation between Delta and Aeroméxico.
- The court said the DOT used an inconsistent market-definition and acted arbitrarily by treating this partnership differently from other U.S. airline joint ventures.
- As a result, the carriers keep antitrust immunity and continue to coordinate schedules, fares, capacity and revenue sharing under the existing joint venture.
- The DOT has told reporters it will review the opinion and continue talks with the Mexican government about compliance and fair treatment of U.S. carriers.
- The venture rests on 2015–2016 approvals and Delta’s roughly 20% stake in Aeroméxico, and the next steps could include a reworked DOT analysis, renewed enforcement action, or diplomatic settlement that would change cross‑border service rules.