United States Department of Justice joined by Attorneys General from six states and the District of Columbia, filed an antitrust complaint against American Airlines Group Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corporation alleging that American and JetBlue violated U.S. antitrust laws in connection with the previously disclosed Northeast Alliance arrangement. American believes the complaint is without merit and will defend itself vigorously. Also on September 21, 2021, the United States Department of Transportation published a Clarification Notice relating to the agreement that had been reached between the DOT, American, and JetBlue in January 2021, at the conclusion of DOT's review of the Northeast Alliance.

The DOT Clarification Notice stated, among other things, that the DOT Agreement remains in force during the pendency of the DOJ action and, while the DOT retains independent statutory authority to prohibit unfair methods of competition in air transportation, the DOT intends to defer to DOJ to resolve the antitrust concerns that DOJ has identified with respect to the NEA. DOT simultaneously published a Notice Staying Proceeding in relation to a complaint by Spirit Airlines Inc. regarding the NEA, pending resolution of the DOJ action described above.