On August 20, 2026, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) order to terminate Delta Air Lines’ (Delta’s) joint venture (JV) with Aerovias de México, S.A. de C.V. (Aeromexico), determining that the DOT’s order was arbitrary and capricious. In 2016, the DOT granted antitrust immunity to the JV and subsequently extended that grant in 2022. However, it issued an order in 2025 revoking the JV’s antitrust immunity. The 11th Circuit ruling vacates DOT’s 2025 order.
Founding partner Bryan Keating was retained as an economic expert for Delta, submitting economic analysis to the DOT as part of Delta’s and Aeromexico’s original application for antitrust immunity in 2016, their application for renewal of antitrust immunity in 2022, and as part of DOT’s process to remove antitrust immunity in 2024.
Dr. Keating was supported by a team led by Dr. John Hore and including Eric Amel and Danny Ni.
Dr. Keating and Dr. Hore worked closely with Delta’s in-house team, including Meg Taylor, Micah Moon, Steve Seiden, and Chris Walker.
