Alaska and Hawaiian request transfer of international route authority

As Alaska Airlines’ proposed $1.9b acquisition of rival Hawaiian Airlines awaits regulatory approval, the carriers are requesting an exemption that would allow them to operate under common ownership upon the deal’s closure. In a joint application filed with the US Department of Transportation on 15 July, Alaska and Hawaiian requested transfer of Hawaiian’s international route authority to potential parent company Alaska Air Group. Hawaiian currently operates an international network reaching six countries – Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia and the USA. The airlines are requesting an exemption that would allow Hawaiian to continue operating international flights following the closure of its acquisition by Alaska Air Group. “Following the transaction closing, Alaska and Hawaiian will be commonly owned and controlled but will continue to operate separately until their operations can be merged under a single operating certificate,” the companies say. Alaska and Hawaiian say they are “willing to accept the standard condition imposed by the department on such exemptions requiring that the carriers be maintained and operated as separate companies until the department issues a final decision on the route transfer application”. The companies request that the DOT “promptly grant this exemption request”, as it would provide continuity to Hawaiian’s international operations upon the transaction’s approval.<br/>