Virgin — Alaska Airlines Buys

Alaska Airlines has continued its growth through acquisition; in , it officially closed its takeover of Hawaiian Airlines. This newer merger is currently in the late stages of integration, including the retirement of the "HA" flight code in favor of Alaska's "AS" code in April 2026.

: Virgin America operated an all-Airbus fleet (A319, A320, A321neo). Alaska Airlines eventually retired these aircraft in favor of maintaining its traditional all-Boeing 737 mainline fleet. alaska airlines buys virgin

: Alaska Airlines outbid JetBlue to secure the acquisition. The primary goal was to expand its footprint along the West Coast, specifically gaining a stronger foothold in San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX) . Alaska Airlines eventually retired these aircraft in favor

: While early bids were cited at approximately $2.6 billion, the total deal value including debt and leases was often estimated at roughly $4 billion. : While early bids were cited at approximately $2

: The merger was designed to help Alaska compete more effectively against "Big Four" carriers (American, Delta, United, and Southwest). Integration and Aftermath

: The two airlines officially merged their operating certificates on April 24, 2018 , after which Virgin America ceased to exist as a separate brand.