Wrangell Sentinel -

Alaska Airlines has agreed to buy Hawaiian Airlines in a $1.9 billion deal, putting it on track for a potential clash with the Biden administration that has shown wariness about consolidation in the airline industry.

The combined company would keep both airlines’ brands, rooted in the nation’s 49th and 50th states. The two airlines announced the deal on Sunday, Dec. 3.

The combined business would be based in Seattle, with Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci at its head, though Hawaiian Airlines would maintain its key operations hub in Honolulu.

The deal means Alaska Air, the fifth-largest U.S. a...