Appeals court overturns DOT order that threatened Delta-Aeroméxico venture

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has thrown out a 2025 order from the Department of Transportation that would have dismantled most of the cooperation between Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico under their decade-old joint venture.

The DOT's order had required the carriers to show cause by October 2025 for why their antitrust waiver should remain in place. Failing that, the agency could have revoked it. Losing the waiver would have made coordinated scheduling, pricing and route planning between the two airlines far harder to sustain.

Regulators had argued the partnership was suppressing competition and enabling protectionist policy in Mexico. The appellate court disagreed with how the agency reached that conclusion. It ruled that the DOT treated the Delta-Aeroméxico arrangement inconsistently compared with other airline joint ventures that had been granted similar immunity in the United States.

Delta and Aeroméxico had jointly challenged the order in court, and the case was stayed while judges reviewed it. With the ruling now in, the joint venture can continue operating largely unchanged for the time being.

In a statement, Delta said the partnership has expanded consumer choice and connectivity over the years while supporting jobs tied to the U.S. aviation sector. The airline added that it intends to keep working with regulators and stakeholders going forward.

Whether the Department of Transportation will seek further review of the decision is not yet known.