EU Seeks Trans-Atlantic Air Pact Feedback

BRUSSELS--European Union regulators sought feedback Tuesday on an offer by Air France-KLM Group, Alitalia SpA and Delta Air Lines Inc. that aims to address antitrust concerns over their pact to coordinate trans-Atlantic flights.

The airlines' alliance has been under investigation by EU regulators for almost three years. Air France-KLM, Alitalia and Delta--which are all members of the SkyTeam Alliance group--have agreed to coordinate schedules, pricing and capacity and share profits on trans-Atlantic routes.

The European Commission, the bloc's central antitrust regulator, is concerned that the cooperation may result in higher prices on three routes--Paris-New York, for premium passengers, and Amsterdam-New York and Rome-New York for all passengers.

The commission said Tuesday that the three airlines had offered to make takeoff and landing slots available at both ends of the Amsterdam-New York and Rome-New York flight routes to allow competitors to enter the market. The airlines have also agreed to strike deals that would allow competitors to offer tickets on their flights and facilitate access to connecting traffic, the commission said.

The regulator invited interested third parties to submit comments on the airlines' proposals within one month of their publication in the EU's Official Journal.

"If the market test confirms that the proposed commitments remedy the competition concerns, the commission may make them legally binding on the companies," the regulator said.

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