US Airlines Joint Venture Reprieve Amid Antitrust Dispute

A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked a US Department of Transportation order requiring Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico to unwind their long-running transborder joint venture. The court granted an emergency stay, allowing the airlines to continue operating under their partnership while the case is reviewed. The DOT had ordered the joint venture to be dismantled by January 1, 2026, citing anticompetitive effects in the transborder aviation market. The airlines argued that the order would impose significant financial and operational harm. The court’s decision preserves the partnership’s current structure until a full review of the case is completed.