JetBlue Airways Corp. and Spirit Airlines recently suffered a legal setback as they unsuccessfully tried to block a consumer lawsuit challenging their proposed $3.8 billion merger. The plaintiffs in the case allege that the merger would lead to a reduction in capacity and an increase in prices.
A federal judge ruled on October 12, 2023, that the consumer plaintiffs could continue to press their claim. The decision not only keeps the lawsuit alive but also sets up the opportunity for a future trial to take place. The key factor in this ruling was the judge’s determination that the consumers had standing to bring the antitrust claim.
US District Court Judge William Young noted in his ruling that the consumers were the “type of person[s] the law intends to protect against the harm of which [they] complain.” Young’s decision was based on the lawsuit filed in November 2022, wherein consumers moved to block the merger citing concerns of alleged antitrust violations.
For the full details of this ongoing legal dispute, and to stay updated as the case progresses, you can read the full article
here on Bloomberg Law.