The Biden administration is letting Alaska Airlines buy Hawaiian Air but with conditions

AP Airlines Writer

The Biden administration is letting Alaska Airlines buy Hawaiian Airlines. The Transportation Department said Tuesday that as a condition, the airlines are promising to maintain some current service, including routes between Hawaii and the mainland U.S. where they don’t have much competition. Alaska and Hawaiian also agreed to some consumer protections, including maintaining the value of frequent-flyer rewards as they combine their loyalty programs. The decision to let the airlines close their merger stands in contrast to the Biden administration’s opposition to previous airline deals. The Justice Department successfully sued to block JetBlue’s attempt to buy Spirit Airlines. Alaska Airlines said it expected to close the deal “in the coming days.”