Alaska Airlines' purchase of Hawaiian Airlines clears Justice Department

Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Alaska Airlines $1.9 billion plan to take over Hawaiian Airlines took a big step on Tuesday when the carrier said its agreement cleared U.S. Justice Department, antitrust regulators.

The carriers will maintain their own brands after the merger for now while providing the combined service, Alaska Airlines said in a statement .

"This combination is an exciting next step in our collective journey to provide a better travel experience for our guests and expand options for West Coast and Hawaii travelers," Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said.

"We have a longstanding and deep respect for Hawaiian Airlines, for their role as a top employer in Hawaii, and for how their brand and people carry the warm culture of aloha around the globe."

The merger must still win the approval of the Transportation Department before it can be finalized. It would mark the largest merger of U.S. carriers since Alaska Airlines merged with Virgin America in 2016, according to CNBC .

The merger would make the new company the fifth largest airline in the United States with 365 airplanes covering 138 destinations. Alaska Airlines said Honolulu would become a key hub for the new airline where it would provide expanded service to Asia and throughout the Pacific.

"Since 1929, Hawaiian Airlines has been an integral part of life in Hawaii and together with Alaska Airlines we will be able to deliver more for our guests, employees and the communities that we serve," Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram said in a statement.

"With the additional scale and resources that this transaction with Alaska Airlines brings, we will be able to accelerate investments in our guest experience and technology while maintaining the Hawaiian Airlines brand."

The merger was announced in December . They were originally formed to serve the last two states to join the union, where their residents depend on air travel to come to the continental United States.