Focus on airfares as American-JetBlue alliance antitrust lawsuit kicks off

BOSTON — A federal antitrust lawsuit that could determine the fate of a partnership between American Airlines Group Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp. opened on Tuesday with Justice Department lawyers and the airlines exchanging arguments over whether the alliance would result in higher fares.

A department attorney told U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin that the DOJ would present evidence showing that American and JetBlue each planned to compete vigorously in major Northeast hubs before deciding instead to join forces. in New York and Boston.