Delta and SAS Urge DOT to Ignore JetBlue’s Late Codeshare Objection

Delta Air Lines and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) are urging the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to disregard a “late-filed” objection from JetBlue Airways regarding their proposed codeshare agreement. The airlines argue that JetBlue’s objection is untimely and should not delay the DOT’s decision.

In June, Delta and SAS, alongside SAS affiliates, applied for approval to codeshare on U.S.-Scandinavia flights starting September 1, coinciding with SAS’s integration into the SkyTeam alliance. JetBlue initially raised concerns in July, citing delays in securing similar codeshare agreements within certain European Union (EU) countries. A second objection was filed by JetBlue in early August, highlighting issues with its own codeshare agreement with Air Serbia.

Delta and SAS contend that JetBlue’s objections are unrelated to their codeshare application and should not affect the DOT’s authorization process. They have requested an expedited review and proposed a “carve-out” for specific European markets—Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, and Montenegro. This approach would allow the DOT to approve the majority of the U.S.-Scandinavia codeshare services while addressing JetBlue’s concerns separately.

“If the DOT accepts the ‘carve-out,’ it should also mandate that JetBlue promptly update the docket upon resolving the codesharing issues with Italy and Croatia,” the airlines state in their DOT filing. “This would enable the Delta-SAS codeshare to commence as scheduled on September 1 while still allowing the DOT to address JetBlue’s concerns in due course.”

JetBlue and Air Serbia had previously filed a DOT application in June 2023 seeking authorization to codeshare on routes between the U.S. and Serbia, as well as onward to third countries. The DOT granted approval later that month, allowing both airlines to display each other’s codes on their respective flights.

However, on August 6, JetBlue formally objected to codesharing on Air Serbia services to Croatia and Italy, citing objections from these EU member states as inconsistent with the U.S.-EU open skies agreement. JetBlue argues that similar codesharing arrangements for Delta and SAS should not face similar objections.