US Airways, American get expedited antitrust trial

   Officials from American Airlines and US Airways will get their day in court a lot sooner than the Justice Department had planned, as U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly Friday set the start of the department’s antitrust trial to Nov. 25.
   The carriers had pushed for a Nov. 12 start date, saying Justice’s request for the trial to start in spring 2014 was “unprecedented and unreasonable” since American Airlines is currently going through bankruptcy proceedings.
   “We are committed to resolving this litigation and, if necessary, will pursue all legal options in order to achieve this merger,” US Airways’ chairman, Doug Parker, stated at the time.
   According to the Wall Street Journal, Kollar-Kotelly said the trial will move forward at an expedited pace and Justice Department “was too far off” with its initially proposed date.
   Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit to block the proposed $11 billion merger between American and US Airways in early August because the deal would “substantially lessen competition for commercial air travel in local markets throughout the United States.” Attorneys general for six states and the District of Columbia joined the department in the suit. – Jon Ross