U.S. probing whether airlines collude to keep airfares high

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Justice Department is investigating whether U.S. airlines are working together to keep ticket prices high, spokeswoman Emily Pierce said on Wednesday.

The Associated Press, which broke the story, said that the department was trying to determine whether the airlines were colluding to grow slowly in a bid to keep airfares high.

"We are investigating possible unlawful coordination by some airlines, said Pierce in a statement.