EU regulators clear two trans-Atlantic airline alliances BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) =97 European Union regulators Tuesday granted=20 antitrust clearance to trans-Atlantic airline alliances between KLM and=20 Northwest, and between Lufthansa, SAS and United Airlines. After six-year=20 investigations, the European Commission said the alliances benefit=20 consumers and bring cost savings without damaging competition. The Star Alliance of United Airlines, Germany's Lufthansa and Scandinavian= =20 Airlines Systems won clearance after the airlines agreed to surrender=20 takeoff and landing slots at Frankfurt airport on routes to Chicago,=20 Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The EU Commission approved=20 without concessions the Wings Alliance between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and= =20 Northwest Airlines Corp. "Airline alliances generally present benefits for= =20 consumers but regulators must ensure that they do not result in the=20 elimination of competition on specific routes and we achieved that," said=20 Mario Monti, the EU's competition commissioner. In July, the Commission=20 said it would approve the alliances providing rival carriers didn't=20 challenge its preliminary findings. Both alliances already have won=20 clearance in the United States. The EU generally favors alliances as a way of pushing forward much-needed=20 consolidation of the troubled airline industry. However, the commission is= =20 still examining the Sky Team alliance, between Air France, Alitalia, Delta= =20 Air Lines, AerMexico, Korean Air and Czech airline CSA. British Airways and= =20 American Airlines abandoned a planned alliance earlier this year after=20 regulators demanded drastic cuts in their slots at London's Heathrow=20 Airport. In a statement Tuesday, United said it was gratified by the EU's=20 move. "The ability to coordinate and cooperate is essential to our efforts= =20 to compete with other alliances, and we can now do so in a more effective=20 manner," said Glenn Tilton, United's chairman, president and chief=20 executive officer. The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (I95.5FM) http://www.i955fm.com (Radio Station I95.5FM) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************