Adds a comment from the Consumer Advocate in paragraph 5
By Mike Scarcella
13 August (Reuters) –A US judge has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to block Alaska Airlines’ plan to buy Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion. According to consumer plaintiffs, the deal would result in a reduction in routes and an increase in prices.
In a ruling Monday, Chief U.S. District Judge in Hawaii Derrick Watson said the airline passengers who filed the lawsuit had not proven they had legal standing to sue against the merger.
“They assert that there is no personal connection with either airline that would plausibly establish a specific or particular injury,” Watson wrote in his order dismissing the lawsuit.
Alaska Airlines welcomed the decision in a statement, saying the merger would “expand benefits and choices for consumers.”
A lawyer for the cConsumer advocate Joseph Alioto said Tuesday he would ask a U.S. appeals court to block the airlines’ merger.
The merger, announced last year, is still under the supervision of the US Department of Justice. A spokesman for the department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last month, Alaska and Hawaiian said they would cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation and agreed to extend The review period ends on 15 August.
Eight passengers from Hawaii, California and other states sued to stop the Alaskan Airlines deal in April,on the grounds that this would violate US antitrust law.
Their complaint states: “The current trend towards concentration, reduction of competition and tendency towards the creation of a monopoly in the airline industry is unprecedented, unprecedented and dangerous.”
Alaska Airlines, the fifth largest US airline, countered that the merger would give customers better access to more destinations. The plaintiffs were described as “serial plaintiffs” who brought “standard lawsuits.”
Hawaiian Airlines was not a defendant in the lawsuit.
The case is Warren Yoshimoto et al. v. Alaska Airlines and Alaska Air Group, U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, No. 1:24-cv-00173.
For plaintiffs: Terence O’Toole of Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher; and Joseph Alioto of the Alioto Law Firm
For Alaska Air: Courtney Dyer, Stephen McIntyre, Anna Pletcher and Pete Herrick of O’Melveny & Myers
Read more:
Alaska Airlines asks US court to dismiss lawsuit over Hawaiian merger
US consumers sue against merger of Alaska Air and Hawaiian Airlines
Reporting by Mike Scarcella
