Alaska Air is moving forward with its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines after receiving approval from the U.S. Department of Justice for the $1.9 billion deal. The merger, which was announced in December, will see Alaska Air paying $18 in cash for each share of Hawaiian, including assuming $900 million in debt held by the airline.
Both airlines have stated that their respective brands will be retained post-merger, a departure from the trend in the airline industry where consolidation has led to the dominance of just four major carriers in the U.S. market.
