American Airlines and US Airways are seeking a 10-day trial that would begin Nov. 12 in U.S. federal court to fight the challenge by the U.S. Justice Department to their proposed merger, which would form the world's biggest carrier, Reuters reported yesterday. In a court filing on Thursday, the carriers said the proposed date would give the Justice Department 90 days of trial preparation. By contrast, the 180 days requested by the government would be "far longer than any of its other merger trials in the century," the filing added. The bankruptcy status of American adds to the airlines' urgency to have the lawsuit heard. The merger would be the mechanism by which American parent AMR Corp. exits bankruptcy. The Justice Department sued last week to block the merger, saying it would reduce competition and lead to higher airfares.
