EU probes seven airlines

The European Commission has started anti-competition investigations into seven transatlantic airlines, including British Airways.



Brussels has reportedly opened two separate investigations, the first into proposed additional co-operation between British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia.



The second probe is into existing and planned cooperation between Air Canada, Continental, Lufthansa and United.



The investigations are into transatlantic routes between Europe and North America run by the One World alliance group.



The group includes British Airlines, American Airlines, Iberia, and Star Alliance carriers Air Canada, Lufthansa and United.



The Commission said the level of co-operation between those airlines appears far more extensive than the other airlines which are part of the Star and One World alliances.



The Commission\'s investigation comes a year after the Open Skies agreement between the European Union and the US.



The agreement aims to enable more airlines to start transatlantic routes.