Hawaiian Airlines (HA, Honolulu) will lay off 73 employees by December 17 following parent Hawaiian Holdings' recent USD1.9 billion merger with Alaska Air Group, affecting 57 workers in Hawaii and 16 on the United States mainland, primarily from duplicative non-contract roles.
This is according to news reports citing a letter from Alaska Airlines' senior vice president, Andy Schneider, to Jade Butay, Hawaii's director of labour and industrial relations. "Employment separations are expected to begin on or about December 31, 2024,” she wrote.
Despite these reductions, the majority of Hawaiian’s non-contract workforce received offers to remain with the new organisation for at least six months.
"A vast majority of our approximately 1,400 Hawaiian Airlines non-contract employees received a permanent or interim position based in Hawaii with the combined company to continue to support Hawaiian’s extensive operational presence across the islands and the work to integrate both airlines," commented spokesman Alex da Silva.
The interim offers extend for at least six months from September, da Silva told ch-aviation, and the company hopes to retain most people for a year or longer, including some permanently. The decisions followed several weeks of individual consultative conversations with non-contract employees following the merger. Unionised positions at Hawaiian Airlines are unaffected, which comprises more than 80% of Hawaiian’s employee base.
Meanwhile, leadership changes include Joe Sprague from Alaska Airlines (AS, Seattle Tacoma International) taking over as Hawaiian’s CEO after the former president, Peter Ingram, stepped down. Alaska Air Group completed the acquisition of Hawaiian Holdings on September 18. The airlines will operate separately for now, with plans to eventually integrate systems while maintaining distinct brand identities.
