FORT WORTH, Texas – On May 19, American Airlines received a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) from the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. The CID states that the Department of Justice is investigating whether conduct by the global distribution systems (GDSs) violated the U.S. antitrust laws. The CID further requests that American provide information relevant to that investigation. GDSs act as intermediaries between American and travel agencies and process a substantial portion of American’s sales.
American welcomes this investigation by the Department of Justice and intends to cooperate fully.
Separately, American recently filed a federal antitrust complaint against one GDS company, Travelport, which remains pending in federal court for the Northern District of Texas.