US case against American Airlines and JetBlue heads to court

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

DALLAS (AP) — The government is getting its day in court to try to block a partnership between American Airlines and JetBlue. A trial is scheduled to start Tuesday in the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against the airlines. The government says that letting American and JetBlue work together on flights in the Northeast will hurt competition and lead to higher fares. The airlines say it’s just the opposite — they say their partnership will make them stronger competitors against Delta and United, and that’s good for consumers. The trial is being held in federal court in Boston. It’s expected to last about three weeks.