United expressed ‘concerns’ to DOT with Hawaiian, Alaska Air merger plan

In a U.S. Department of Transportation memo from Ben Shipe, Attorney-Advisor, Office of International and Aviation Economic Law, Shipe wrote: “On August 27, 2024, Robert Rivkin, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of United Airlines, spoke with Deputy Counsel Brian Stansbury. Mr. Rivkin expressed concerns regarding the potential impact of a merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines on the cooperation agreements between United and Hawaiian Airlines. He noted that United has interline, codeshare, special prorate, and loyalty agreements with Hawaiian Airlines.”