Skyteam probe leaves space for competition :: 22/10/2007 :: Airport Parking News

Space made in air route monopoly

When we book tickets with a major airline these days, it's more likely than not that the airline is part of an airline alliance, sharing planes, codes and routes, but one particular alliance has come under fire from the competition and under investigation from a European commission recently.

SkyTeam, which is comprised of CSA Czech Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, Delta Airlines, NOthwest Airlines, Air France, Alitalia and Aeromexico, has been accused of monopolizing routes where they have a strong market presence.

The European Commission probe has had its effects, and SkyTeam has agreed to open slots on the ir heavily trafficked flight routes for competition to enter; competitors having complained that SkyTeam was holding an unfair advantage. The EC Commission states that, "To address these concerns, the parties have offered commitments designed to facilitate new entry on the routes in question. The parties mainly offer to make slots available at appropriate EU airports to allow competitors to operate new or additional services and to share their frequent flyer programs."