British Airways and its transatlantic partner American Airlines have offered to give up airport slots on three UK-US routes.
Rival airlines will be able to apply for the take-off and landing slots, at Heathrow and Gatwick, to launch or increase flights between London and Boston, Miami and Chicago.
BA and American have also agreed to carry a minimum number of passengers between London and Dallas, to prevent them from scaling back the service.
The commitments made by the two airlines are intended to address concerns raised by a UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into the Atlantic Joint Business Agreement (AJBA).
The AJBA comprises five airlines, including British Airways, American Airlines, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Finnair, which cooperate on transatlantic flights, including agreeing fares.
The five airlines have proposed several other commitments, which the CMA said it ‘provisionally considers will address its concerns’.
CMA Executive Director of Competition and Enforcement Juliette Enser said: “Airline alliances can deliver broader economic benefits, such as enhanced connectivity and new services. But the CMA has concerns about the AJBA’s impact on key UK-US routes.
“Accepting these commitments could address those concerns and protect passengers on the routes, including by making it easier for other airlines to compete, and bring our investigation to a close while allowing the AJBA to continue to operate.”
Interested parties are invited to provide feedback on the proposed commitments, which will be considered by the CMA before it decides on whether to accept the commitments.
The deadline for submitting feedback is 23 April 2025.
