Alaska Airlines Eyes JetBlue Merger While Building Seattle Hub (aeroxplorer.com)

Alaska Airlines is positioning for further consolidation after its $1.9 billion Hawaiian Airlines acquisition, with JetBlue seen as the most likely target. The carrier is also launching long-haul routes from Seattle to Tokyo, Seoul, and London, using Hawaiian's widebody aircraft to challenge Delta's transpacific operations. Regulatory conditions under the current administration are more favorable to mergers, though any JetBlue deal would face scrutiny over overlaps in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles.