NEWS: MERGERS, MERGERS, MERGERS!
Good evening and welcome back to Brooke In The Air! We have rather breaking news to sum up for you all today.
Official joined advertisement of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines featuring the merger, apologies for the resolution.
As many of you may, or may not have heard, Alaska Airlines is buying out Hawaiian Airlines at a total price of $4.7 Billion USD.
This will expand Alaska’s reach beyond the North American continent and Mexico plus the seasonal routes to the Caribbean.
Making Honolulu (HNL) a hub is a priority for Alaska who currently is based at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), and will give Alaska, under the Hawaiian Airlines name, far east reach and finally allow them to land in Tokyo.
SAS Official Logo (current)
In other news, SAS - Scandinavian Air Service - earlier filed for bankruptcy but Air France-KLM Group (itself a result of the merger between then-ailing Air France and KLM Airlines - flag carriers of France and the Netherlands, respectively) bailed SAS out by buying them out. As a result of this buyout, SAS, one of the five founding members of the Star Alliance, is leaving Star Alliance for Sky Team, the third and smallest of airline alliances.
Domestic Asiana Airlines Airbus A320-200 on approach for landing at Seoul-Incheon Airport
Finally, Korean Air has, earlier in 2023, decided to acquire Asiana Airlines, South Korea’s other national airline. As a result, of this acquisition it is unknown if Asiana will contiknue as Asiana or be incorporated into Korean Air’s fleet. Further, Asiana will also be leaving the Star Alliance for Sky Team along with SAS airlines.
Lufthansa Group is also looking to acquire a majority share of Italian flag carrier ITA airways.
