The period from 2001 through 2016 saw several major mergers amongst US passenger airlines. In recent years, though, efforts to merge or coordinate have faced opposition from courts and antitrust regulators. In December 2023, Alaska Airlines (which already has a huge Hawaiian presence) announced a deal to acquire Hawaiian Airlines. The immediate response from government officials was muted, suggesting that, unlike the JetBlue/Spirit and JetBlue/American tie-ups, this merger might go through. Yesterday, though, a group of consumers filed suit in federal district court seeking to stop the acquisition, arguing it would have a monopolistic in multiple markets, and would “threaten Hawai’i’s economy and the well-being of Hawai’i’s people”.
