UPDATE: US Approves Antitrust Immunity For Oneworld Airlines

By Doug Cameron and Joshua Mitchell Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES U.S. regulators on Tuesday granted antitrust approval to allowing five members of the Oneworld airline alliance to expand cooperation. The final order from the U.S. Department of Transportation imposed the same key conditions attached to a tentative approval granted in February to British Airways PLC (BAIRY, BAY.LN), American Airlines and their partners. The approval, more than a decade after BA and American first sought immunity, follows the green light given last week by European regulators. DoT requires the airlines to give up four pairs of daily takeoff and landing slots at London's congested Heathrow airport. Two are earmarked for rivals to operate flights to Boston, mirroring a condition imposed by the European Commission. Two more can be used from Heathrow to any other U.S. city. E.U. regulators required that the airlines give up seven pairs of daily Heathrow slots. BA and American have said they will be ready to implement deeper ties almost immediately, including joint schedules, pricing and marketing. Iberia, BA's merger partner, is included in the approval alongside Finnair and Royal Jordanian Airlines. In a statement Wednesday, BA said the airlines plan to launch the transatlantic joint business this autumn and will co-operate commercially on flights between the E.U., Switzerland and Norway and the U.S., Canada and Mexico. -By Doug Cameron, Dow Jones Newswires; 312-750-4135; doug.cameron@dowjones.com (Steve McGrath in London contributed to this article.) (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 21, 2010 02:13 ET (06:13 GMT) Bay Capital