Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian cleared to merge with DOT’s blessing

The U.S. Department of Transportation is giving a green light to the merger of Alaska Air Group Inc. and Hawaiian Holdings Inc. after the carriers agreed to institute new consumer protections, lifting the last hurdle to close the $1.9 billion deal. Under the terms of the agreement, Alaska and Hawaiian must protect the value of loyalty program rewards, maintain existing service on key routes and preserve support for rural service, the Transportation Department said Tuesday in a statement. The companies also must ensure competitive access at the Honolulu hub airport....