There could be another delay in merger of American Airlines and Tempe-based US Airways.
The Justice Department is asking for a delay in the trial over the merger, because of the shutdown of the federal government.
The merger was weeks away from closing when the government sued to block it on antitrust grounds. The trial in the case is set to begin on Nov. 25.
The government wants the delay, saying it won’t be able to prepare properly for trial, because people working on the case won’t be allowed to come to work.
But there may be a way out. DOJ says if the court orders the trial to go forward, its lawyers can keep working and it would be able to justify their salaries because the court order would represent legal authorization for the spending.