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Alaska Airlines completed (18-Sep-2024) its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. The carriers are now working with the US FAA to secure a single air operator's certificate (AOC), which would enable the airlines to operate as a single carrier with an integrated passenger system. Pending the single AOC, Alaska and Hawaiian will continue to operate as separate carriers with no immediate changes to operations and will maintain separate websites, reservation systems and loyalty programmes. The airlines intend to maintain their distinct brands. Honolulu becomes the carriers' second largest hub, after Seattle, and will be a regional headquarters. Customers will be able to purchase tickets for both airlines through each of their websites "soon". The carriers plan to combine Mileage Plan and HawaiianMiles into a new unified loyalty programme, with more details to be released in mid 2025. Hawaiian Airlines stock will be de-listed and cease trading on the NASDAQ on 18-Sep-2024. The combined airlines serve 141 destinations with 350 aircraft and more than 33,000 employees. [more - original PR]

Mitteldeutsche Flughafen announced (16-Sep-2024) the State Directorate of Saxony issued a plan amendment resolution for the expansion of Apron 4 at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The project includes the construction of additional parking spaces for cargo aircraft, additional taxiways to the south runway and high rise buildings. This will also include staff rest and sanitary rooms, an energy station and areas for a snow dump and deicing, in order to be able to prepare several aircraft for take off simultaneously. The project will expand the 58 hectare Apron 4, which has been operational since 2007 and expanded in 2010, by a further 39 hectares. [more - original PR - German]

Airlines for Europe (A4E) called (17-Sep-2024) for the newly appointed EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas to implement a "pragmatic and focused" approach on delivering competitive air transport for a connected Europe, stating: "Europe's aviation sector must remain strong, also in the face of global competition". A4E outlined key priorities for the new commissioner, including the following:

• Reforming European airspace: Address challenges in the air traffic management system, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, and improve efficiency beyond the SES2+ framework;
• Streamlining environmental legislation: Support the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) through an industrial strategy to meet European mandates and avoid disproportionate costs on aviation;
• Aligning international standards: Ensure EU climate and environmental standards are aligned globally to prevent carbon leakage and business loss to neighbouring regions;
• Completing the single market for aviation: Review and rebalance the framework for passenger rights, improve multimodal transport efficiency and clarify the roles and responsibilities of each transport actor involved, including intermediaries;
• Revising airport legislation: Increase transparency and oversight, enabling fair competition across the sector. [more - original PR]

Cepsa, Iberia, Iberia Express, Vueling and BIOCIRC (Spanish Biocircularity Association) presented (16-Sep-2024) a report entitled: 'How to make Spain the European leader in SAF? Roadmap to accelerate the decarbonisation of air transport', outlining 16 economic, regulatory and public-private collaboration measures to boost the production and consumption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The report states the new industry to produce the SAF will require an investment of EUR22 billion to build facilities and generate 270,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs by 2050. The development of the industry could contribute EUR13 billion to Spain's GDP from the construction of the plants and an additional EUR42.85 billion from their operation until 2050. The report outlines the need to build three HEFA biofuel plants, five synthetic fuel plants and at least 24 alcohol-to-jet and FischerTropsch biofuel plants, to ensure the energy independence and decarbonisation of the Spanish aviation sector in 2050. The proposed measures include the creation of a fund of over EUR300 million p/a to finance the development of production plants and encourage their use, using the revenues obtained by the state through the auction for emission rights. The partners also advocate for the adoption of a national pact between the government and the sector to establish a national SAF strategy to prioritise the sector in the energy and industrial policy agenda. [more - original PR]

Alaska Airlines reported (17-Sep-2024) it expects to close its merger with Hawaiian Airlines "in the coming days", following the US Department of Transportation (DoT) approving the transaction. Pursuant to the merger, the carriers agreed to consumer protections to ensure service to rural communities, maintain loyalty programme value and enhance competition. The DoT also granted an exemption allowing the transfer of international route authorities for the combined carrier. Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci stated: "We look forward to formally welcoming Hawaiian Airlines' guests and employees into Alaska Air Group. We sincerely appreciate the exceptional care and service that employees of both companies have continued to show for one another and our guests throughout this process, and the support of both airlines' labor unions, as we proceed to realize the vision for this combination and build a stronger future together". [more - original PR]

US Department of Transportation (DoT) approved (17-Sep-2024) Alaska Air Group's acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, pending the DoT's review of the carriers' transfer application. The airlines agreed to the following enforceable public interest protections required by the DoT to close the merger:

• Maintain airline rewards value: The carriers agreed to protections against rewards devaluation, ensuring consumers receive the rewards, benefits and status they have earned. Specific reward protections include:
  
  • No expiration for miles earned under current programmes: All HawaiianMiles and Alaska Mileage Plan miles earned prior to the conversion into the new combined loyalty programme must not expire;
  • Miles transfer at 1:1 ratio: Rewards members must be able to transfer HawaiinMiles to/from Alaska Mileage Plan miles at a 1:1 ratio prior to the launch of the new combined loyalty programme. Each outstanding mile must be converted into a mile in the new loyalty programme, ensuring all members have the same miles balance before and after conversion;
  • Maintain miles valuation: The combined carrier must not take any actions that would devalue HawaiianMiles, must maintain the value of unredeemed HawaiianMiles, must honour all active Hawaiian Miles promotions from prior to the merger closing and must continue to award HawaiianMiles at the same or greater value;
  • Match, maintain or increase status: The combined carrier must match and maintain the equivalent status levels that HawaiianMiles and Alaska Mileage Plan members hold under the current programmes;
  • No new junk fees: The combined airline must not impose change or cancellation fees on rewards redemption tickets for travel on carrier operated flights;
• Maintain inter-island and continental connectivity: The combined airline must maintain "robust" levels of service for critical Hawaiian inter-island passenger and cargo service and for key routes between Hawaii and the continental US to prevent a loss of competition;
• Preserve support for essential air service in Alaska and Hawaii: Ensuring connectivity for each state's small, rural communities which depend on air service for healthcare, education and economic wellbeing;
• Ensure competitive access to Honolulu Daniel K Inouye International Airport: The combined carrier is prohibited from taking actions to discriminate against new market entrants or smaller competitors' access to the airport;
• Guarantee fee-free family seating: Hawaiian Airlines must join Alaska Airlines in guaranteeing adjacent seats for children aged 13 or under with an accompanying adult at no additional cost;
• Provide alternative compensation for delays and cancellations caused by the airline: Hawaiian must join Alaska Airlines in providing travel credits or frequent flyer miles when a flight is delayed by at least three hours or when a flight is cancelled and passengers must wait at least three hours for a new flight due to circumstances within the control of the airline;
• Lower costs for service members and their families: The carriers must lower costs for military service members and their families by waiving select fees and providing at least one free standard carry-on bag and at least two free standard checked bags for service members and their accompanying spouse and children.

The carriers must remain separate and independently operated until the DoT has ruled on the carriers' transfer application. If approved, the protections will remain in effect for a six year period. [more - original PR]