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US Airways became part of American Airlines when their merger closed on December 9, 2013. The combined airline operated under the American Airlines name, while US Airways’ brand and operations were phased into the new company over time. The merger was not a one-day shutdown: the parent-company deal closed in 2013, and later steps completed the legal and operating integration.
How US Airways became American Airlines
The transaction created American Airlines Group Inc. (AAG), the new parent company for the combined business. US Airways Group initially remained a wholly owned subsidiary. American Airlines’ official history timeline records US Airways’ last flight and a later move to a shared passenger service system—milestones in retiring the separate brand and integrating airline operations.
The legal combination followed the operational transition. A 2015 SEC filing says US Airways Group merged into AAG and US Airways, Inc. merged into American Airlines, Inc., with American Airlines, Inc. surviving.
Key dates in the merger
- 1939: AAG’s 2013 annual report traces US Airways Group’s origins to All American Aviation.
- 1982: The annual report says US Airways Group was formed.
- 2005: American’s timeline records US Airways merging with America West.
- November 2011: AMR, American Airlines’ parent at the time, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization.
- February 2013: American and US Airways agreed to merge, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
- August 13, 2013: DOJ, six states, and the District of Columbia filed an antitrust lawsuit challenging the transaction.
- November 12, 2013: DOJ announced a settlement requiring airport slot, gate, and facility divestitures.
- December 9, 2013: The merger closed and American Airlines Group Inc. was formed.
- April 25, 2014: DOJ said a federal court found the settlement to be in the public interest.
- December 30, 2015: The SEC filing records the subsequent legal-entity mergers.
Why regulators challenged the deal
DOJ and state partners alleged that the proposed $11 billion transaction would substantially lessen competition in local air-travel markets, with possible higher fares and reduced service. Those were allegations in the lawsuit, not proof that every predicted effect occurred. The parties settled in November 2013 rather than proceeding with the challenge to a final trial outcome.
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What the settlement required
The settlement required divestiture of 104 air-carrier slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and 34 slots at LaGuardia Airport. It also required rights to two gates and associated ground facilities at each of five airports: Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles International, and Miami International.
DOJ said the remedies were intended to expand low-cost-carrier competition at constrained airports. In April 2014, DOJ reported that the federal court had found the settlement to be in the public interest. Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer said, “We’re pleased that the court agreed that the department’s remedy will enhance system-wide competition in the airline industry.” That statement describes DOJ’s view of the remedy; it is not an independent measurement of the merger’s later effects.
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