Hawaii
Hawaiian-Alaska airlines proposed merger clears main regulatory hurdle | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
A proposed $1.9 billion merger between competitors Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines just cleared its most significant regulatory hurdle after federal antitrust enforcers ended their review period without blocking the deal.
The Department of Justice’s formal review period for the proposed merger under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act expired quietly at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday (6:01 p.m. on Monday in Hawaii). It was almost anti-climactic given the past two weeks of heightened tension and speculation after the review period, originally slated to end Aug. 5, was extended three times.
Alaska announced the news on its website and called the development “a significant milestone in the process to join our airlines.”
Hawaiian and Alaska needed DOJ approval to complete their proposed merger agreement which was entered into Dec. 2 after the boards of directors for both air carriers approved the deal, which includes $900 million in Hawaiian debt.
This merger milestone is blockbuster news in Hawaii, where Hawaiian Airlines has a history that goes back to 1929. Hawaiian Airlines is the state’s largest carrier, with about 150 daily interisland flights and over 230 systemwide. It offers nonstop flights between Hawaii and 16 U.S. gateway cities, and service to American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Tahiti.
Alaska Airlines and its regional partners serve over 120 destinations across the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Bahamas and Guatemala.
There’s potentially a lot riding on the merger, given Hawaiian’s financial challenges now and over the past several years.Hawaiian reported a second-quarter net loss on July 30 of $1.30 a share, or $67.6 million, as compared with a $12.3 million loss a year ago. When adjusted for nonrecurring costs, the second-quarter loss came to $1.37 a share.
The DOJ enforces Section 7 of the Clayton Act, which prohibits mergers and acquisitions that may substantially lessen competition or create a monopoly, and recently the Biden administration has taken a tough stance against airline industry consolidation. In 2023 the DOJ, along with the Attorneys General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the State of New York, and the District of Columbia, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit to block the merger of JetBlue and Spirit.
To achieve full regulatory clearance, the Alaska-Hawaiian merger is still subject to other customary closing conditions, mainly the U.S. Department of Transportation’s approval of an interim exemption application, which is needed to close the transaction. The DOT exemption approval historically has followed DOJ approval by no more than 48 hours ; however, the current administration is taking a less deferential approach to DOJ’s processes.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green issued a statement today saying that he and his administration had worked with Alaska Airlines’ leadership to review the potential impacts of consolidation and “we insisted that any changes expand travel options for our residents and preserve union jobs.”
“Alaska has reinforced commitments to our state and will maintain the Hawaiian Airlines brand, preserve and grow union jobs in our Hawaii, as well as continue to provide crucial passenger and air cargo service to, from, and within the islands,” Green said. “The merger will vastly expand the number of destinations throughout North America for Hawaii residents that can be reached nonstop or one-stop from the islands, and HawaiianMiles members will retain the value of their miles while gaining access to more destinations around the world.”
Green said he appreciated DOJ’s strong consideration of Hawaii’s unique needs during its review.
“I am confident that by the joining of these two airlines, a stronger company will emerge and offer more travel options for Hawaii residents and local businesses — and will enhance competition across the U.S. airline industry,” he said.
Hawaiian and Alaska must remain competitors until the regulatory process is completed.
Day one of the combined company is expected to start once the money is transferred over. When that happens, Hawaiian shareholders, who approved the deal Feb. 16, are set to receive a premium of $18 in cash per share. Hawaiian’s stock closed Monday at $15.88.
When the deal was announced, Alaska Airlines President and CEO Ben Minicucci and Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the new company will maintain and burnish the brands of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines.
The combined organization will be based in Seattle under Minicucci’s leadership. But the top airline executives told the Star-Advertiser when the deal was announced that most of Hawaiian Airlines’ nearly 7,300 employees would keep their jobs if the sale is approved by shareholders and federal regulators.
The airlines have said they would honor existing miles from the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and the Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles loyalty programs for frequent flyers, which are expected to integrate into a shared loyalty program.
The demolition of Aloha Stadium on Oahu took a big step forward Thursday with the first section of seating pulled down from the steel structure.
Half of the elevated deck-level seating on the stadium’s makai side was severed and toppled backward as part of demolition work that began in February.
The other half of the upper makai-side seating is slated to come down Tuesday, followed by similar sections on the mauka side and both end zones, though the concrete foundations for lower-level end-zone seating are being preserved for a new, smaller stadium to rise on the same site.
A private partnership, Aloha Halawa District Partners, led by local developer Stanford Carr, is replacing the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium, which opened in 1975 and was shuttered in 2020, with a new stadium featuring up to 31,000 seats.
AHDP is using $350 million of state funding toward the cost of the new stadium, which could be $475 million or more, and will operate and maintain the facility on state land for 30 years with a land lease.
The development team also is to redevelop much of the 98-acre stadium property dominated by parking lots with a new mixed-use community that includes at least 4,100 residences, two hotels, an office tower, retail, entertainment attractions and open spaces expected to be delivered in phases over 25 years and costing close to or more than $5 billion or $6 billion.
Earlier parts of stadium demolition work led by Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. included removing four covered multistory spiral walkways leading to the upper level from the ground, and concourse bridges.
Demolishing the stadium is projected to be done by August, according to Carr.
Building the new facility is expected to be finished in 2029.
Hawaii
This Airbnb Tiny Home Sits on a Lava Field in Hawaii With Unbeatable Night Sky Views—and It’s a Guest Favorite
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tal-airbnb-one-off-tout-1465b3bde0864117b43761b0d1dd346e.jpg?ssl=1 "This Airbnb Tiny Home Sits on a Lava Field in Hawaii With Unbeatable Night Sky Views—and It’s a Guest Favorite")
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The team behind a popular Hawaii-based home renovation show is now facing legal troubles after airing content that shouldn’t have been released, according to the state.
Hawaii’s Attorney General is now involved after HGTV’s ‘Renovation Aloha’ showed uncensored images of apparent ancient skeletal remains that were discovered at a Hilo property.
In a now-deleted clip on social media, Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama, along with the production team, discovered a cave beneath a Hilo property where they found the remains deep inside.
Video documented their shock when it was found, with the hosts saying, “There’s bones back here. I got to get out of here. Are you fricken serious? I’m serious dude. Is that a skull?”
Tristyn was seen standing further back, saying “This is terrifying. I’m at my stopping point” before leaving.
Hawaii News Now is not showing the bones, but confirmed with HGTV the episode was filmed in December 2025.
Video didn’t show them touching or moving the remains, and HGTV said authorities were notified after the discovery, the property was not developed, and the site was later blessed.
At the time, police said no crime was committed, and the state AG obtained a TRO to prevent the broadcast of the images in accordance with state law.
However this week, uncensored video of the bones was posted online by the Kalamas and HGTV, and included in the episode, triggering a quick rebuke from the community.
“We don’t kaula’i iwi. We do not lay our bones out in the sun to expose him in this manner,” former Oahu Island Burial Council Chair Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu said.
She also said the release of the images was “extremely disappointing,” saying the damage was already done.
“It is irrelevant that bones were not moved. It is irrelevant that they were not disturbed, per se, because somebody didn’t touch them — but you went into their space and that space becomes kapu space once they have transitioned over to po. And when you do that, we honor that. We don’t disturb them,” Wong-Kalu added.
The AG said they took immediate legal action to prevent the unlawful broadcast of images, pointing to a TRO issued prior to the episode’s release. They also said, “We are aware that the segment aired notwithstanding the court’s order, and we take this matter very seriously. The Department will pursue additional action as necessary.”
Court Documents revealed the Kalamas and producers of the show are now facing four counts for allegedly breaking Iwi Kupuna protection rules.
“If that were our grandparent, would we want them, after they have physically transitioned to po, would we want to share our family in this manner? I don’t think so,” Wong-Kalu added.
HGTV said in a statement, “We take the concerns raised by the community very seriously and are committed to ensuring our programming is respectful and appropriate. We apologize to anyone who found any part of the episode offensive, that was not HGTV’s intention.”
They also confirmed the original episode was removed, and re-edited without the bones included.
Through our communication with the HGTV spokesperson, Hawaii News Now offered the Kalamas a chance to respond directly, but they did not. They did however take to Instagram to address the episode, saying they followed the protocols they knew, and never intended to build there. They stressed their respect for Hawaiian culture and practices.
The investigation remains active.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
-
Movie Reviews1 minute ago‘Hen’ movie review: György Pálfi pecks at Europe’s migrant crisis through the eyes of a chicken
-
Business31 minutes agoVideo: Why Your Paycheck Feels Smaller
-
Culture55 minutes agoFamous Authors’ Less Famous Books
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoSunday Puzzle: For Mimi
-
Technology1 hour agoThe future of local TV news has taken a Trumpian turn
-
World1 hour agoPope Leo says remarks about world being ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants’ were not aimed at Trump: report
-
Politics1 hour agoTrump renews bridge, power plant threat against Iran in push for deal, mocks ‘tough guy’ IRGC
-
Health2 hours agoLoneliness may be silently eroding your memory, new research reveals