Commission clears United / Continental Airlines Merger unconditionally

On 27 July 2010 the European Commission (the "Commission") cleared, unconditionally, the proposed merger between US carriers United Airlines and Continental Airlines. The Commission concluded that the €2.2 billion merger would not cause a significant lessening of competition in the EEA.

Both parties provide domestic and international scheduled air passenger and cargo transport (with United Airlines operating from hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Washington and Chicago and Continental Airlines operating from hubs in Newark, Cleveland and Guam).

The Commission found that although the parties overlapped in the provision of transatlantic passenger and cargo transport between the EEA and the US, the networks were largely complementary as they utilise hubs in different US cities.  The Commission also concluded that the merger would have minimal impact on air cargo transport due to the parties' limited presence in this market.