Alaska Air Group has secured a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, a major milestone in the combination process that began with Alaska’s acquisition of Hawaiian more than one year ago.
Alaska reiterated on 29 October that the airlines will continue operating as distinct customer-facing brands, while the single air operator’s certificate (AOC) represents “training, policies, procedures and manuals” merging behind the scenes.
Combining under the single AOC represents a major change particularly for Hawaiian Airlines’ pilots, according to Larry Payne, chair of the master executive council for Hawaiian’s Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) unit.
“This marks the end of our Hawaiian call sign and certificate,” he says. ”For all of us, it’s a moment to reflect on both of our rich histories and the legacy of every pilot who came before us.”
The airlines now operate under a single call sign to communicate with air traffic control. Hawaiian flights will still show the HA designator on customer-facing mediums, though some flight numbers have been changed to avoid duplication with Alaska flights.
Alaska and Hawaiian’s pilot groups are still negotiating a joint collective bargaining agreement with Alaska Air’s management – another major hurdle in the combination process.
The airlines are also working to combine scheduling and passenger-service systems, as well as flight crew, airport and maintenance systems. Alaska Air anticipates integrating under a single passenger service system next spring.
Alaska Air chief Ben Minicucci describes the process of combining the airlines’ operating certificates as a ”year-long, multi-phase effort involving multiple departments and thousands of hours of work”.
“We appreciate the FAA and the US Department of Transportation for their guidance and support as we carefully reviewed and harmonised our processes with a shared focus on safety,” he says. “This is an important step in our journey as a combined organisation, and I’m excited about our future together.”
Earlier this year, Alaska and Hawaiian launched a shared loyalty programme for frequent flyers called “Atmos Rewards”.
Having secured a single AOC, Diana Birkett Rakow now takes over as CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, reporting to Minicucci. She replaces Joe Sprague, who led the airline during the transition to Alaska Air.
The combined carriers operate more than 300 aircraft, including long-haul Boeing 787s and Airbus A330s, enabling Alaska Air to launch an ambitious international network based out of Seattle and Honolulu.
