American Airlines Group Inc (AAL)

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Petition to Dismiss Lawsuit at petitions.whitehouse.gov

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/20130815petition-seeks-dismiss-us-airways-american-airlines-lawsuit.html

By Dawn Gilbertson The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Aug 15, 2013 12:35 PM

Supporters of the US Airways-American Airlines merger have started an online petition to ask the Obama administration to withdraw the lawsuit antitrust regulators filed this week to block the merger.

The petition, created Wednesday at petitions.whitehouse.gov, has more than 900 signatures and a goal of reaching 100,000 by Sept. 13.

It states: “We, the employees of American Airlines and US Airways, stakeholders, the traveling public and those who support the free market, petition the Obama administration to withdraw the Department of Justice suit seeking to block the merger between American Airlines and US Airways, Case 1:13-cv-01236.

“Our industry has suffered immensely for more than a decade, with tens of thousands of jobs lost, families uprooted and devastating bankruptcies. Recent airline consolidation has moved the industry toward a level of stability that has not been seen since before the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. Allowing these two final network airlines to merge will complete this stabilization and bring increased service, fair competition and career stability to more than 100,000 employees.”

The airlines’ flight attendants and pilots have been circulating links to the petition but it is unclear who started it.

US Airways and American have vowed to fight the Department of Justice’s lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. It alleges that the merger, which company officials had hoped to close by the end of September, will cause substantial harm to customers because it will reduce competition and increase airfares and fees.

The airlines say they are confident they will prevail and hope to close the deal by the end of the year. Some industry observers aren’t so confident and say the merger faces a tough court battle or will require significant concessions to get the government’s blessing.