The U.S. approved Frontier Airline’s merger.

The carrier’s shareholders also voted to approve Frontier’s merger with People Express, officially ending Frontier’s 39-year era as one of the West’s major independent air carriers. Stockholders owning 71% of Frontier’s shares approved the merger at a shareholders meeting. In Washington, the Department of Transportation issued a statement saying the agency was waiving the usual hearing review process for the merger because there are “no substantial competitive or public interest considerations.” With the department’s action, Frontier Airlines officially became a wholly owned subsidiary of People Express.