Alaska Airlines said on Monday its proposed merger with Hawaiian Airlines has cleared a regulatory obstacle with the U.S. Department of Justice, paving the way for the next phase of approval.
“The time period for the U.S. Department of Justice to complete its regulatory investigation of the proposed combination of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines under the HSR Act has expired,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement on its website.
The company added that it was now awaiting next steps with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
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“Today, the proposed merger of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines cleared an important milestone. The regulatory review period for the U.S. Department of Justice has ended,” Hawaii’s governor Josh Green said.
“The proposed combination remains subject to other customary closing conditions, including approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) of an interim exemption application. Following that step, we will complete work to close the transaction, and proceed with integrating the two companies”, added Green.
Mergers and acquisitions in the aviation industry have faced tough scrutiny from regulators. Earlier this year, a federal judge blocked JetBlue Airways’ planned $3.8 billion acquisition of ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines.
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Plataforma Informativa de Aviación Comercial líder en América Latina.