SEATTLE and HONOLULU, Sept. 17,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group, the parent
company of Alaska Airlines, announced today the interim
Honolulu leadership team that will
guide Hawaiian Airlines operations from transaction close through a
full combination of operations under a single operating certificate
with two brands – Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
Now that final clearance has been received from regulators,
Alaska Airlines can close the transaction and shift focus to
obtaining a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA). Until that time, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian
Airlines will operate as one organization with two separate airline
operations, under two individual operating certificates. The
interim Honolulu leadership team
will lead the Hawaiian Airlines operation during this time.
When the combination was announced, it was shared that Hawaiian
Airlines President and CEO Peter
Ingram would step down from his role following the
transaction close. Current Alaska Airlines regional president of
Hawai'i/Pacific, Joe Sprague, will
be named chief executive officer of Hawaiian Airlines. In this
role, Sprague will be responsible for leading all aspects of
Hawaiian Airlines' operations until the FAA grants Alaska a single operating certificate.
In addition to Sprague, several senior executives from Hawaiian
Airlines will comprise the interim Honolulu leadership team. These leaders, who
collectively have nearly 65 years of experience with Hawaiian
Airlines, include:
- EVP, Administration – Shannon
Okinaka
- SVP, Human Resources – Robin
Kobayashi
- SVP, Tech Ops (Maintenance & Engineering, Flight Ops and
System Operations Control Center) – Jim
Landers
- VP, Airport Operations and In-Flight – Lokesh Amaranayaka
- Managing Director, Safety – Terry
Hill
- Director, Brand and Culture – Alisa
Onishi
Additionally, the current regional VP of Hawai'i for Alaska
Airlines, Daniel Chun, will serve on
the Honolulu leadership team,
overseeing community and cultural relations, government affairs and
Hawai'i sales.
Current Hawaiian operations leaders Bob
Johnson (VP, Flight Operations), Beau Tatsumura (VP, Maintenance &
Engineering) and Tom Zheng (VP,
Technical Operations Business Planning & Services) will
continue to report to Jim Landers
during this period. Justin Doane,
VP, Labor & People Relations, will continue to support Hawaiian
labor relations.
"We have a unique, once-in-a-generation opportunity to combine
two incredible companies with aligned values and 90+ year legacies
of serving and connecting local communities. I am deeply honored to
work alongside these strong leaders from Hawaiian Airlines to lead
the airline's people, operations, and brand through this transition
while sustaining our commitments to safety and service," said
Sprague.
In December 2023, Alaska Air
Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALK), and Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA)
announced they entered into a definitive agreement under which
Alaska Airlines will acquire Hawaiian Airlines. The combined
company will unlock more destinations for consumers and expand
choice of critical air service options and access throughout the
Pacific region, U.S. continent and globally. The transaction is
expected to enable a stronger platform for growth and competition
in the U.S., as well as long-term job opportunities for employees,
continued investment in local communities and environmental
stewardship. Once granted a single operating certificate, the two
airlines will function as a single operation with two public-facing
brands, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines and our regional
partners serve more than 128 destinations across the United States, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa
Rica, Guatemala and
Mexico. We offer our guests a
premium flying experience with award-winning customer service and
an industry-leading loyalty program, Mileage Plan. With our fellow
oneworld Alliance members and additional global partners,
our guests have more choices than ever to purchase, earn or redeem
on alaskaair.com across 30 airlines and more than 1,000
worldwide destinations. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and
follow @alaskaairnews for news and stories. Alaska Airlines,
Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska
Air Group.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Now in its 95th year of
continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawaiʻi's largest and
longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers approximately 150 daily
flights within the Hawaiian Islands, and nonstop flights between
Hawaiʻi and 16 U.S. gateway cities – more than any other airline –
as well as service connecting Honolulu and American
Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Japan, New
Zealand, South Korea and Tahiti. Hawaiian Airlines, Inc.
is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional
information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com . Follow
Hawaiian's Twitter updates ( @HawaiianAir ), become a fan
on Facebook ( Hawaiian Airlines ), and follow us on
Instagram ( hawaiianairlines ).
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SOURCE Alaska Air Group, Inc.