The proposed $1.9 billion merger between Alaska Airlines (NYSE:ALK) and Hawaiian Airlines by Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HA) has received clearance from the U.S. Justice Department, marking a significant step forward in the deal announced eight months ago. The merger is now pending approval from the U.S. Transportation Department.
What Happened: The Justice Department's period for antitrust investigation concluded without any lawsuit to halt the merger, CNBC reported on Tuesday. This comes on the heels of the DOJ's January victory in court, blocking JetBlue Airways' acquisition of Spirit Airlines. The DOJ also won a lawsuit last year that dissolved a partnership between JetBlue and American Airlines in the Northeast.
If the Transportation Department gives its nod, this merger will be the biggest among U.S. carriers since Alaska Airlines' merger with Virgin America eight years prior. The merged entity would operate as a single platform, boasting a fleet of over 360 airplanes and covering more than 130 destinations.
Despite facing numerous challenges such as the Maui wildfires, increased competition from Southwest Airlines, and a slower recovery of travel to and from Asia post-Covid-19, Hawaiian Airlines has seen its shares surge by nearly 12% this quarter.
Why It Matters: The merger, first announced in December 2023, is expected to offer customers a wider range of domestic and international options, while both airlines will retain their individual brands, a decision influenced by their nearly century-long history and the communities they serve.
The development comes amid Alaska Airlines' financial health which has been under scrutiny. In August, Alaska Air's stock hit a technical milestone known as a Death Cross, indicating a potential continuation of the stock's downward trajectory. The stock was already down 7.93% year-to-date and 20.83% over the past year.
Price Action: On Monday, Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. stock fell and closed 4.39% lower at $15.88 while Alaska Airlines saw a slight increase of 0.52% at its close of $34.96, according to Benzinga Pro.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
阿拉斯加航空公司（NYSE:ALK）和夏威夷航空公司（NASDAQ:HA）擬以 19 億美元的價格合併夏威夷控股公司（NASDAQ:HA）的交易已獲得美國司法部的批准，標誌着八個月前宣佈的交易向前邁出了重要一步。該合併案目前正在等待美國交通部的批准。
發生了什麼：CNBC週二報道，司法部的反壟斷調查期結束時沒有提起任何停止合併的訴訟。在此之前，司法部於1月份在法庭上獲勝，阻止了捷藍航空對Spirit Airlines的收購。去年，司法部還贏得了一場訴訟，該訴訟解散了捷藍航空與美國航空在東北部的合作伙伴關係。
如果運輸部點頭，這次合併將是自八年前阿拉斯加航空與維珍美國航空合併以來美國航空公司中規模最大的合併。合併後的實體將作爲單一平台運營，擁有一支由360多架飛機組成的機隊，覆蓋130多個目的地。
儘管面臨諸如毛伊島野火、來自西南航空的競爭加劇以及COVID-19後往返亞洲的旅行恢復放緩等衆多挑戰，但夏威夷航空的股價在本季度仍上漲了近12％。
爲何重要：此次合併於2023年12月首次宣佈，預計將爲客戶提供更廣泛的國內和國際選擇，而兩家航空公司都將保留各自的品牌，這一決定受其近一個世紀的歷史和所服務的社區的影響。
這一事態發展是在阿拉斯加航空的財務狀況一直受到審查之際發生的。8月，阿拉斯加航空的股票達到了一個名爲死亡十字架的技術里程碑，這表明該股的下跌趨勢可能會延續。該股今年迄今已下跌7.93％，在過去一年中下跌了20.83％。
價格走勢：根據Benzinga Pro的數據，週一，夏威夷控股公司股價下跌4.39％，至15.88美元，而阿拉斯加航空在收盤時小幅上漲0.52％，收於34.96美元。
照片來自 Shutterstock
這個故事是使用 Benzinga Neuro 創作的，由 Pooja Rajkumari
