United halts expansion at Newark under pressure from the Justice Department

The U.S. government does not like monopolies.

And, as part of its ongoing mission to keep at least some monopolies from ruling the world, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday that United Airlines is "abandoning" its plan to buy additional takeoff and landing slots at Newark Liberty International Airport.

United was hoping to purchase 24 additional slots from Delta at the airport, increasing its reach from 73% to 75% of all slots available at Newark.

That's right: United currently has 73% of all available times for scheduling a takeoff and landing. So much for preventing near-monopolies.

In November, the DOJ sued United to block the proposed acquisition. The lawsuit said that United's increased dominance at the airport would subject Newark travelers to higher fares and fewer options.

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“United has used its slots monopoly to dominate air travel in and out of Newark," Justice Department’s Antitrust Division's Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer said in a statement. "This is a great win for Newark travelers and for all American consumers."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced last week that it would lift slot controls at Newark, a move meant to "ease entry and promote competition at the airport."

The FAA said that the restrictions have forced them to deny service requests from United competitors, even though United is not using all of its available slots.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, said the FAA's move should lead to more competition among airlines. 

The news arrived on United's 90th birthday. The airline's first flight took place on Apr. 6, 1926 in Pasco, Washington.

Additional reporting by Associated Press.