Consultation on modified commitments in respect of the Atlantic Joint Business Agreement

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The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) purpose is to help people, businesses and the UK economy by promoting competition and tackling unfair behaviour.

About this consultation

The CMA is consulting on modified commitments offered by American Airlines (AA); subsidiaries of International Consolidated Airlines Group: British Airways (BA), Iberia and Aer Lingus; and Finnair in relation to the CMA’s investigation into the Atlantic Joint Business Agreement (AJBA) under the Chapter I prohibition of the Competition Act 1998.

The CMA’s investigation relates to concerns that the AJBA may have the object or effect of preventing, restricting or distorting competition on 4 routes between London and US cities:

  • London to Boston
  • London to Chicago
  • London to Dallas
  • London to Miami

To address the competition concerns the CMA identified during the course of its investigation, American Airlines, subsidiaries of International Consolidated Airlines Group, and Finnair offered commitments.

In March 2025, the CMA invited views on these commitments.

Following the consultation, the CMA identified a number of aspects of those initial commitments that should be strengthened or revised in order to ensure its competition concerns were addressed American Airlines, International Consolidated Airlines Group and Finnair offered modified commitments to the CMA in June 2025. As detailed more fully in the related notice, the modified commitments:

  • include an additional conditional slot on the London – Boston route, which will make a slot pair at LHR available for a daily frequency in the event that the number of competitor services at LHR falls below two daily (for more than two consecutive seasons) - this will help ensure a minimum level of competition on the route
  • enable the slot on the London to Chicago route to be operated for between four to seven non-stop frequencies a week in the IATA Summer seasons, which will provide airlines with the flexibility to operate one-stop services between London and Chicago on the remaining days, thereby making operation of this slot pair more likely to be commercially viable and increasing likelihood of take-up
  • increase the minimum volumes for the ‘Local Passenger Volume Commitment’ on the London – Dallas route to a level which will better constrain the AJB airlines’ fares for local passengers on this route
  • Include various changes to the Special Prorate Agreements (‘SPAs’) to increase the geographic scope of the routes available, cover flights marketed by joint venture partners, and clarify the process and timings for renegotiating SPAs
  • Include various changes to the terms and process for obtaining and using slots
  • Include changes and clarifications to the monitoring rights and obligations in the commitments

The CMA provisionally considers that the modified commitments address the competition concerns identified by the CMA for the reasons set out in the Notice of Intention to Accept Modified Commitments. Therefore, subject to consultation responses, the CMA proposes to accept the modified commitments.


Responding to our consultation

To comment on the commitments, submit written representations by email to: ajb-response@cma.gov.uk by 5pm on 18 July 2025.

Information contained in the responses may be used or summarised on an anonymous basis in public documents. If your response contains any information that you would regard as sensitive if it were to be used or summarised on an anonymous basis, please identify the information and explain why you regard it as sensitive.


Your personal data

Any personal data you provide to us through CMA Connect (such as your name and contact details) will be handled in accordance with our obligations under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Our personal information charter set out the standards you can expect from us when we collect, use or share personal data and provides details of your rights in relation to that personal data and how to contact us.

The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) purpose is to help people, businesses and the UK economy by promoting competition and tackling unfair behaviour.

About this consultation

The CMA is consulting on modified commitments offered by American Airlines (AA); subsidiaries of International Consolidated Airlines Group: British Airways (BA), Iberia and Aer Lingus; and Finnair in relation to the CMA’s investigation into the Atlantic Joint Business Agreement (AJBA) under the Chapter I prohibition of the Competition Act 1998.

The CMA’s investigation relates to concerns that the AJBA may have the object or effect of preventing, restricting or distorting competition on 4 routes between London and US cities:

  • London to Boston
  • London to Chicago
  • London to Dallas
  • London to Miami

To address the competition concerns the CMA identified during the course of its investigation, American Airlines, subsidiaries of International Consolidated Airlines Group, and Finnair offered commitments.

In March 2025, the CMA invited views on these commitments.

Following the consultation, the CMA identified a number of aspects of those initial commitments that should be strengthened or revised in order to ensure its competition concerns were addressed American Airlines, International Consolidated Airlines Group and Finnair offered modified commitments to the CMA in June 2025. As detailed more fully in the related notice, the modified commitments:

  • include an additional conditional slot on the London – Boston route, which will make a slot pair at LHR available for a daily frequency in the event that the number of competitor services at LHR falls below two daily (for more than two consecutive seasons) - this will help ensure a minimum level of competition on the route
  • enable the slot on the London to Chicago route to be operated for between four to seven non-stop frequencies a week in the IATA Summer seasons, which will provide airlines with the flexibility to operate one-stop services between London and Chicago on the remaining days, thereby making operation of this slot pair more likely to be commercially viable and increasing likelihood of take-up
  • increase the minimum volumes for the ‘Local Passenger Volume Commitment’ on the London – Dallas route to a level which will better constrain the AJB airlines’ fares for local passengers on this route
  • Include various changes to the Special Prorate Agreements (‘SPAs’) to increase the geographic scope of the routes available, cover flights marketed by joint venture partners, and clarify the process and timings for renegotiating SPAs
  • Include various changes to the terms and process for obtaining and using slots
  • Include changes and clarifications to the monitoring rights and obligations in the commitments

The CMA provisionally considers that the modified commitments address the competition concerns identified by the CMA for the reasons set out in the Notice of Intention to Accept Modified Commitments. Therefore, subject to consultation responses, the CMA proposes to accept the modified commitments.


Responding to our consultation

To comment on the commitments, submit written representations by email to: ajb-response@cma.gov.uk by 5pm on 18 July 2025.

Information contained in the responses may be used or summarised on an anonymous basis in public documents. If your response contains any information that you would regard as sensitive if it were to be used or summarised on an anonymous basis, please identify the information and explain why you regard it as sensitive.


Your personal data

Any personal data you provide to us through CMA Connect (such as your name and contact details) will be handled in accordance with our obligations under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Our personal information charter set out the standards you can expect from us when we collect, use or share personal data and provides details of your rights in relation to that personal data and how to contact us.

Page published: 03 Jul 2025, 01:34 PM