E-WASHINGTON - ISebe lezoBulungisa laseMelika lathi ngoLwesibini ukudityaniswa kweBritish Airways kunye neAmerican Airlines kwiinqwelomoya eziwela iAtlantiki kuya kukhokelela "kumngcipheko wokukhuphisana" kwaye kubizwe izithintelo kwisivumelwano.
Icandelo le-Antitrust leSebe lezoBulungisa lenze isincomo salo kwiSebe lezoThutho (DOT), eliya kwenza isigqibo sokugqibela malunga nentsebenziswano esondeleyo phakathi kwe-BA, i-American, i-Iberia kunye nabanye abathwali kwi-"oneworld" umanyano.
Isicelo sokhuselo lokungathembeki, oluya kuvumela intsebenziswano esondeleleneyo phakathi kwabathwali, "sinokubangela ukhuphiswano kwiindlela ezithile ezidlula eAtlantiki ezibonelela abakhweli abazizigidi ezi-2.5 ngonyaka," iSebe lezoBulungisa latsho.
Iqukumbela ngelithi imali yokukhwela phakathi kweendlela ezintandathu ezinqumla iAtlantiki “inokunyuka iye kutsho kwi-15 ekhulwini phantsi kwezivumelwano ezicetywayo.”
"Abafaki-zicelo babanga izibonelelo ezinkulu ziya kuphuma kumanyano olwandisiweyo, kodwa abakhange babonise ukuba ukungakhuseleki kuyafuneka ukuze kuphunyezwe ezi zibonelelo," utshilo uphononongo.
Ingxelo icebisa ukuba iSebe lezoThutho "libeke iimeko" ezibandakanya ukususwa kwezinye iindawo zokubeka abathwali abachaphazelekayo "ukukhusela umdla woluntu kukhuphiswano."
Ithe nakuphi na ukungakhuseleki kunokubandakanya "i-carveout" yezinye iindlela ezingazukubandakanywa kuyo nayiphi na intsebenziswano.
"Ishishini elihlangeneyo linokuthi lilimaze ukhuphiswano ukuba liya kwandisa amandla abathathi-nxaxheba okanye inkuthazo yokunyusa ixabiso okanye ukunciphisa imveliso kuyo nayiphi na imarike echaphazelekayo," iSebe lezoBulungisa laqukumbela.
Komnye umzekelo, yaphawula ukuba “iMerika ne-Iberia kuphela kokhuphiswano olukhoyo phakathi kweMiami neMadrid,” nokuba “ukhuphiswano beluya kulahleka ukuba (iinkampani zeenqwelo-moya) bezinokuphumeza izivumelwano zazo njengoko zicetywayo.”
Ezinye iindlela apho ukhuphiswano lunokulimala luya kuba yiBoston-London, Chicago-London, Dallas-London, Miami-London, kunye neNew York-London.
Ukusabela kwesi sibhengezo, iBritish Airways ithe "iyakuba yimpendulo eyomeleleyo" kwizimvo ngethemba lokuba iSebe lezoThutho lizogqitha izindululo.
“Kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuba imiba ephakanyiswe namhlanje yi-DOJ iyafana nefayile ye-DOJ kwityala lomfelandawonye we-Continental/United Star, nethe ekugqibeleni yakhatywa yiDOT.” UBA uthe.
“Eyona ndlela ikhawulezayo yokwandisa ukhuphiswano kwimarike yezophapho yehlabathi kunye nokubonelela ngebhalansi yokhuphiswano kukunikezela ngesicelo se-oneworld? Oku kuya kuqinisekisa umgangatho kunye nebala lokudlala elikhuphisanayo kunye nemibutho yeStar kunye neSkyTeam esele ifumene olu ncedo lufanayo lokugonywa. "
I-SkyTeam yimanyano yabathwali be-11 kuquka i-US-based Delta kunye ne-Air France. Inkwenkwezi ibandakanya abathwali abangama-26 kubandakanya i-United, i-US Airways, iLufthansa yaseJamani kunye ne-ANA yaseJapan.
Kunyaka ophelileyo, iAmerican Airlines, iBritish Airways kunye ne-Iberia yaseSpain batyikitye isivumelwano sokusebenzisana kwiinqwelomoya phakathi koMntla Merika kunye neYurophu ukubanceda boyise iindleko ezinyukayo zepetroli kunye nezinye iingxaki zeshishini.
I-BA, AA kunye ne-Iberia ziyinxalenye ye-11-airline ye-oneworld alliance, kwaye bafuna, kunye namaqabane e-oneworld uFinnair kunye neRoyal Jordanian, ukungathembeki kurhulumente wase-US kwiinqwelomoya ezidlula i-Atlantiki.
Ukubotshwa okucetywayo kutsale umsindo webhiliyoni uRichard Branson, othe isivumelwano singasongela abo bakhuphisana nabo, kubandakanya neyakhe iVirgin Atlantic. I-AA kunye ne-BA baziphikisa ezo zityholo.
