Fair Trade Commission Secretary General Akio Yamada said Wednesday the FTC will look into the anticompetitive implications of a proposed tieup between All Nippon Airways and the failed Hokkaido International Airlines, better known as Air Do.
"We need to hear from them about details of the alliance. After that, we will give the matter consideration," Yamada said.
On Tuesday, Air Do filed for court protection from creditors under the fast-track civil rehabilitation law, while forming a tieup with ANA.
Yamada also said he expects the ANA-Air Do alliance to have no impact on the planned integration of Japan Airlines and Japan Air System in October.
He said the failure of Air Do is "very regrettable" as the carrier brought healthy competition to Japan's airline industry.
Air Do entered the market in 1998 to serve the Sapporo-Tokyo route. It challenged major domestic airlines by offering reduced airfares.
Its price war with competitors, however, led the airline into a financial crisis that first became apparent in late 2000.
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