HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Less than a day after getting federal approval, Alaska Airlines already closed its $1.9 billion deal to buy Hawaiian Airlines. Alaska made the merger a done-deal the same day the U.S. Department of Transportation allowed it to, and was ready to name the new top management team.

The airlines agreed to maintain some routes and meet other conditions to secure the Transportation Department’s approval of their merger.

Joe Sprague, formerly Alaska Airlines’ current regional president of Hawaii/Pacific, now takes over as Hawaiian Airlines CEO to lead the interim leadership team overseeing Hawaiian’s operations while Alaska pursues a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.