American Airlines and Japan Airlines Thank U.S. Department of Transportation on Final Order Allowing Antitrust Immunity
American and Japan Airlines Set To Launch Joint Business in 2011

FORT WORTH, Texas and TOKYO, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines and Japan Airlines, members of the oneworld® Alliance, today thanked officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for granting final approval to their joint request for antitrust immunity and plans for a joint business between North America and Asia.

"We appreciate the thorough review that DOT has given our request for antitrust immunity that will allow us to move forward with our joint business," said Tom Horton, President of American Airlines. "We also look forward to officials from the United States government and the government of Japan signing an Open Skies agreement, which will allow for additional flights between the United States to Japan."

"This final U.S. government approval, following the recent grant by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, clears all regulatory procedures necessary for Japan Airlines and American Airlines to begin working on our joint business," said Masaru Onishi, President of Japan Airlines. "We would like to express our gratitude to everyone involved in making this positive decision, and will from hence, move expeditiously towards creating more benefits for our passengers, our companies, our financial supporters and our countries."

Both airlines anticipate launching their trans-Pacific joint business in early 2011. It will provide enhanced travel options and experiences for passengers of both American Airlines and Japan Airlines.

American plans to start its new nonstop daily service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Tokyo's Haneda International Airport on Jan. 20, 2011. Japan Airlines began service from Haneda to San Francisco in late October. Both carriers will codeshare on these flights.