21.   The Justice Department has yet to sign off on that merger, but the department has approved an alliance between Northwest Airlines and Continental Airlines.

22.   Under EU law, the EU executive body has the final word in approving such alliances to ensure that they do not violate EU fair trade rules.

23.   American Airlines and British Airways dismissed a threat Monday by the European Union of a legal challenge to Britain if it approved a marketing alliance between the two carriers.

24.   The Tsomet and Guesher parties had already approved the alliance.

25.   The US Transportation Department Monday approved an alliance between American Airlines and Canadian Airlines International, Transportation Secretary Federico Pena announced.

26.   Van Miert indicated however that the commission would not seek to make greater access to the US market a condition of approving the alliances.

27.   Rivals to BA and AA had complained that the two companies would hold a quasi-monopoly position in the trans-Atlantic market if the alliance were approved.

28.   Shareholders of the US telecommunications company Sprint on Monday approved an alliance with France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom, the company said in a statement.