SES will acquire Intelsat in a $3.1 billion transaction, continuing the consolidation trend in the satellite provider space. Not surprisingly, the mobility segment plays a significant role in driving the value of the deal.
merger
PaxEx Bits: Week ending 5 April 2024
Lots of cabin and connectivity news bits to catch up on as the week comes to an end…
Gogo prevails over SmartSky again in preliminary injunction hearing
Gogo has, once again, avoided a preliminary injunction prohibiting it from selling its next generation inflight connectivity solution.
JetBlue/Spirit merger blocked on competition, innovation concerns
The US Department of Justice prevailed in its lawsuit against JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, successfully (at least for now) blocking their planned merger. The ruling, handed down on Tuesday, found the merger would likely result in a scenario “unlikely to be sufficient to protect every consumer, in every relevant market from harm.”
Alaska Airlines welcomes complexity with Hawaiian Airlines acquisition
Alaska Airlines will buy Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion in a cash transaction. Unlike most other mergers, however, the company plans to embrace the complexity of multiple product offerings as it intends to keep both the Hawaiian and Alaska brands in service.
Norwegian snaps up Widerøe in search of stable revenue flows
Long-promised consolidation in the European airline market is happening. Norwegian announced plans to purchase Norway’s oldest airline, Widerøe, for approximately $105 million in cash, subject to adjustment at closing based on Widerøe’s profitability for the year.
JetBlue will not appeal NEA ruling, refocuses on Spirit merger
And just like that, poof, it was gone. JetBlue will not appeal a US District Court ruling that its Northeast Alliance (NEA) with American Airlines represents a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Viasat closes on Inmarsat purchase
The deal is done: Viasat now owns Inmarsat, completing the multi-billion dollar transaction.
Viasat cleared to close on Inmarsat purchase
The European Commission unconditionally approved Viasat’s planned purchase of Inmarsat on Thursday, removing the last regulatory hurdle the two companies faced in their planned consolidation. With that eliminated, they now expect to close the deal before the end of May.
DOJ wins: JetBlue, American NEA declared illegal
JetBlue and American Airlines must unwind their Northeast Alliance (NEA), and quickly. The partnership was ruled a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. This is, of course, bad news for the two airlines. The impact may be broader than that.