Things are about to change for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines customers. On Wednesday, Alaska Airlines acquired Hawaiian Airlines in a historic merger. The acquisition is the largest merger between U.S.

The airline’s chief executive, Ben Minicucci, said in an interview that closing its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines would allow it to expand, including on international routes.

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.