Overview

• The U.S. Department of Justice has formally endorsed the Transportation Department’s provisional proposal to end the antitrust immunity for the 2016 Delta–Aeroméxico joint venture.
• The DOT’s plan would take effect on October 25, 2025, unless regulators grant the carriers’ request to extend protections until March 28, 2026, covering the winter schedule.
• American Airlines and industry groups including IATA have filed comments supporting immunity withdrawal, citing Mexico’s slot reallocations at AICM and cargo shifts to AIFA as anticompetitive.
• Ending the antitrust immunity would strip legal safeguards for joint revenue sharing and coordinated pricing but allow codeshare ties and frequent-flyer cooperation to persist.
• Federal Register notices and comment deadlines remain on schedule as U.S. and Mexican authorities continue bilateral talks and formal administrative review.