06:32 AM EDT, 04/01/2026 (MT Newswires) -- American Airlines Group ( AAL ) and Qantas Airways have received interim approval from Australia's competition regulator to maintain their cooperative trans-Pacific flight alliance, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said Wednesday.

The regulatory decision permits the carriers to keep synchronizing their flight timetables, capacity management, and financial returns across routes connecting Australia and New Zealand with North America, the regulator said.

Both airlines formally requested a five-year extension for their joint operational framework in late 2025 to replace a previous regulatory exemption, and the final ruling is anticipated in June, the ACCC said.

American Airlines ( AAL ) shares were up 1.1% in premarket activity.