Virgin and Delta Partnership Approved by DOT

Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic Airways have been approved by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to partner together in a joint venture, according to a press release. The approval allows the two carriers antitrust immunity on routes between North America and the United Kingdom.

The ruling by the DOT is a confirmation to the airlines that demonstrates the consumer benefits that will result from the partnership of the two carriers. It will also allow the airlines to deepen their cooperation with each other, allowing them to offer more flight choices for travelers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In particular, the approval will allow both carriers to improve their travel options for business travelers in both the New York and London travel markets.

"We are delighted that the Department of Transportation recognizes that the immunized partnership offers significant advantages to customers," Ed Bastian, the president of Delta, said in a statement. "The freedom to cooperate fully with Virgin Atlantic will initiate a new era of greater competition in the New York to London market - where it is much needed.

"We have a proven record in making joint ventures succeed and we look forward to building our relationship with Virgin Atlantic," he continued.

Virgin Atlantic noted that 60 percent of the slots at London Heathrow Airport are controlled by British Airways and its joint venture partners in their filing with the U.S. DOT.

As a result of the joint ventures that British Airways is involved in, those carriers dominate air travel between the U.S. and the U.K., including the valuable New York to London market, which is considered the most important business market in the world.

The new combination of Virgin America and their new slots at Heathrow airport combined with the brand strength of the airline in the U.K., as well as the powerful network owned by Delta airline sand their extensive U.S. network, the joint venture between the two carriers will offer immense competition in the flight market, which will result in a benefit to consumers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.