Aug. 20, 2024
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1 min read
Merger of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines moves forward, clears antitrust concerns
The proposed merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines cleared a major hurdle this week after the Department of Justice opted not to try to block it.
The DOJ, which investigated the proposed merger, declined to file an antitrust lawsuit before the end of a waiting period imposed by the review process, the airlines said on Tuesday, eight months after first announcing plans to combine.
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Before the merger can proceed, the Department of Transportation must still review and approve the $1.8 billion deal. It was not immediately clear what the timeline would be for that approval.
The DOJ’s implicit approval would allow the largest U.S. airline merger since Alaska bought rival Virgin America in 2016, and stood in stark contrast to recent DOJ policy of aggressively litigating to stop airline industry mergers and acquisitions.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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