United, Continental May Win Support by Ceding Flights

United Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc. may need to cede some flights to win U.S. approval for the first proposed airline merger reviewed by the Obama administration.

The U.S. Justice Department may question whether the deal announced today would limit competition on routes to China and Japan and from New York to Europe, prompting the airlines to give up routes or airport takeoff and landing slots, Mike Goldman, a Washington aviation attorney, said in an interview.