Skift Take

In his first public comments since the merger was announced, Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci expressed confidence that the deal would pass regulatory hurdles.

Meghna Maharishi

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci has called the decision to block the JetBlue-Spirit merger a “positive” — because it now sets the stage for its merger with Hawaiian Airlines. 

“I think the judge was clear in saying that he's blocking the deal because of the elimination of an ultra-low-cost carrier that has benefit to consumers in the country,” Minicucci said at the JPMorgan Industrials conference in New York on Tuesday.

“In our deal, it's nowhere near that. Our deal is completely different. We're actually the low-cost, low-fare airline acquiring Hawaiian.”

Minicucci's Case for the Alaska-Hawaiian Merger

In his first public comments on the proposed partnership since it was announced in December, the Alaska CEO expr