The U.S. Department of Justice will not challenge the $1 billion merger deal between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
Alaska Airlines has overcome a major hurdle in its plans to buy Hawaiian Airlines.
The U.S. Department of Justice has decided not to challenge the $1 billion deal, which airlines believe will create a company that will serve travelers better.
Alaska Air announced in December that it would pay $18 in cash for each share of Hawaiian Airlines, including a debt of $900 million owed by the latter.
If the merger goes ahead, the brands of both airlines will be preserved—a move that is rare in an industry in which decades of acquisitions have left just four big carriers dominating the U.S. market.
Alaska and Hawaiian have some overlapping routes. The say the aim of the merger is to enable the new company to compete more effectively with the nation’s four biggest carriers: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.
