WASHINGTON - UMnyango Wezobulungiswa e-US uthe ngoLwesibili ukuhlangana kweBritish Izindiza kanye ne-American Airlines ngezindiza eziwela i-Atlantic kuzoholela "ekulimaleni kokuncintisana" futhi ucele ukuthi kube nemingcele esivumelwaneni.
Uphiko lwe-antitrust loMnyango Wezobulungiswa lenze izincomo zalo eMnyangweni Wezokuthutha (i-DOT), ozokwenza isinqumo sokugcina mayelana nokubambisana okuseduze phakathi kwe-BA, i-American, i-Iberia kanye nezinye izinkampani ezithwala umfelandawonye "wezwe elilodwa".
Isicelo sokuvikeleka kwe-antitrust, esingavumela ukubambisana okusondelene phakathi kwabathwali, "singazoholela ekulimaleni kokuncintisana emizileni ethile ye-transatlantic ekhonza abagibeli abayizigidi ezi-2.5 ngonyaka," kusho uMnyango Wezobulungiswa.
Iphetha ngokuthi imali yokugibela phakathi kwemizila eyisithupha enqamula i-Atlantic “ingakhuphuka ifike kumaphesenti angu-15 ngaphansi kwezivumelwano ezihlongozwayo.”
"Abafake izicelo bathi izinzuzo ezinkulu zizophuma kumbimbi owandisiwe, kodwa abakhombisanga ukuthi ukungatheleleki kuyadingeka ukuze kuzuzwe lezi zinzuzo," kusho isibuyekezo.
Lo mbiko utusa ukuthi uMnyango WezokuThutha “ubeke imibandela” okuhlanganisa nokususwa kwezindawo ezithile zabathwali abathintekayo “ukuvikela izintshisekelo zomphakathi emqhudelwaneni.”
Ithe noma yikuphi ukungavikeleki kungase kuhlanganise "ne-carveout" yeminye imizila engeke ifakwe kunoma yikuphi ukubambisana.
“Ibhizinisi elihlanganyelwe lingase lilimaze ukuncintisana uma lingakhuphula ikhono labahlanganyeli noma isisusa sokunyusa amanani noma ukunciphisa umkhiqizo kunoma iyiphi imakethe efanele,” kuphetha uMnyango Wezobulungiswa.
Kwesinye isibonelo, yaphawula ukuthi “iMelika ne-Iberia ukuphela kwezimbangi ezingami zamanje phakathi kweMiami neMadrid,” nokuthi “ukuncintisana bekuyolahleka uma (izinkampani zezindiza) bezingenza izivumelwano zazo njengoba zihlongozwa.”
Eminye imizila lapho ukuncintisana kungase kulinyazwe khona kungaba yiBoston-London, Chicago-London, Dallas-London, Miami-London, ne-New York-London.
Isabela kulesi simemezelo, iBritish Airways ithe "izophendula ngokuqinile" kumazwana ngethemba lokuthi uMnyango WezokuThutha uzozichitha izincomo.
“Kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuthi izindaba eziphakanyiswe yi-DOJ namuhla ziyafana nalezo ze-DOJ? U-BA uthe.
“Indlela eshesha kakhulu yokuthuthukisa ukuncintisana emakethe yezindiza emhlabeni wonke kanye nokunikeza ibhalansi yokuncintisana ukunikeza isicelo se-oneworld sokuzivikela. Lokhu kuzoqinisekisa inkundla yokudlala esezingeni futhi eqhudelana nayo yomibili imifelandawonye ye-Star ne-SkyTeam eseyitholile kakade lesi sibonelelo esifanayo sokugonywa.”
I-SkyTeam ingumfelandawonye wezinkampani zenethiwekhi eziyi-11 ezihlanganisa i-Delta yase-US ne-Air France. Inkanyezi ihlanganisa izinkampani zenethiwekhi ezingu-26 ezihlanganisa i-United, i-US Airways, iLufthansa yaseJalimane kanye ne-ANA yaseJapan.
Ngonyaka odlule, i-American Airlines, British Airways kanye ne-Iberia yaseSpain basayine isivumelwano sokubambisana ezindizeni eziphakathi kweNyakatho Melika ne-Europe ukuze zibasize banqobe izindleko zikaphethiloli ezikhuphukayo nezinye izinkinga zemboni.
I-BA, AA kanye ne-Iberia bayingxenye yomfelandawonye wezindiza eziyi-11 ze-oneworld, futhi bafuna, kanye nabalingani be-oneworld uFinnair kanye neRoyal Jordanian, ukungathembeki kuhulumeni wase-US ezindizeni eziwela i-Atlantic.
Lokhu kuhlanganisa okuhlongozwayo kudonse ukucasuka kukasozigidi uRichard Branson, oveze ukuthi lesi sivumelwano singasabisa izimbangi zakhe, okuhlanganisa neyakhe iVirgin Atlantic. I-AA kanye ne-BA baziphikisa lezo zinsolo.
