The U.S. Department of Transportation issued final approval of the transatlantic antitrust immunity application by SkyTeam partners Air France, Alitalia, Czech Airlines, Delta, KLM and Northwest

. DOT said its approval allows the airlines to "coordinate their transatlantic fares, services and capacity as if they were a single carrier in these markets," subject to certain conditions including carve-outs for the Paris CDG-Atlanta and Paris CDG-Cincinnati routes. The American Society of Travel Agents opposed the application, which DOT tentatively approved earlier this year. It is unrelated to the Justice Department review of Delta's and Northwest's merger plans.