Justice Department Had Wanted The Proceedings Pushed To Next Year

Federal district judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly has filed documents setting a November 25 trial date to hear the Department of Justice's case against the proposed merger of American Airlines and US Airways.

In court documents filed last Friday, Judge Kollar-Kotelly wrote that "By no later than September 4, 2013, the parties shall file a joint proposed order concerning referral of discovery disputes to a special master. The parties shall also confer and contact the Court regarding the appointment of a third-party mediator for use at the parties’ discretion.

"The Court shall hold a status conference on October 1, 2013, at 10:30 AM to discuss trial procedures and pre- and post-trial briefing."

The two airlines had originally requested a November 3 date for the trial, but the DOJ had said that they could not be ready that quickly. Reuters reports that, in a response to the judge's order, Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said "We appreciate the court's careful consideration of the scheduling issues and will be ready to present our case."

The airlines released a joint statement saying "We are confident in our case and eager to get to court. We are pleased to have a trial date that will enable us to resolve this litigation in a reasonable time frame."

In a separate statement, US Airways flight attendants said they are ready to “make the most out of the opportunities available through the creation of the world's largest airline, which will provide real competition for Delta and United and a positive outlook for workers. Our union supported the motion for a November trial date because both US Airways and American Airlines front line workers deserve to know what our future holds.

"We applaud today's court decision for a November 25 trial start date and we are optimistic that the judge will agree that the benefits of this merger, for both workers and consumers alike, will help to create a stronger aviation system."

FMI: www.dcd.uscourts.gov