US sues to stop deal between American Airlines and JetBlue

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

The Justice Department is suing to stop American Airlines and JetBlue from coordinating their flights in the Northeast. Government antitrust lawyers said Tuesday that the deal between the two airlines will reduce competition and lead to higher fares. The airlines say there is no evidence of that, and they vow to fight the government lawsuit. American and JetBlue announced their deal last year and are already coordinating some flights to attract more passengers. They say it’s helping them close the gap on competitors Delta and United in the Northeast.