Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines reach integration milestone with single operating certificate

Alaska Airlines received a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate alongside Hawaiian Airlines as two separate brands. This significant milestone – a FAA regulatory requirement achieved just over a year after Alaska and Hawaiian combined – marks the successful integration of training, policies, procedures and manuals across both airlines.

“Congratulations to everyone at Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines for getting us to a single operating certificate,” said Ben Minicucci, President and CEO of Alaska Air Group. “This was a year-long, multi-phase effort involving multiple departments and thousands of hours of work. We also appreciate the FAA and the US Department of Transportation for their guidance and support as we carefully reviewed and harmonized our processes with a shared focus on safety. This is an important step in our journey as a combined organization, and I’m excited about our future together.”

While Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are now operating under a single call sign (AS) – which our pilots and dispatchers use behind the scenes to communicate with air traffic control – guests will continue to enjoy our distinct Alaska and Hawaiian brand experiences, along with the reach of am expanding joint global network, and the benefits of the Atmos™ Rewards loyalty program.

There is one visible change for guests: while Hawaiian Airlines flights will show the HA designator, new flight numbers may be assigned to avoid duplication between brands. Where practical, the airlines attempted to maintain similar flight numbers, but in many cases, had to assign completely new flight numbers.

A SOC paves the way for other, ongoing integration initiatives, including combining scheduling and passenger service systems to improve the experience of guests traveling across both brands, and integrating flight crew, airport and maintenance teams under joint collective bargaining agreements.

Airline executive say next spring, guests can look forward to an even more streamlined travel experience when Alaska and Hawaiian move to a single passenger service system, or PSS. A PSS is the main technology powering the systems that guests – on Alaska and Hawaiian – will interact with when planning their trips, booking tickets and on the day of travel.

Once the airlines transition to a single PSS in April, all flights will carry the AS code, but travelers will continue to be able to view and book Hawaiian Airlines flights and experience the distinct Hawaiian Airlines brand and the hoʻokipa (hospitality) throughout their journey. Hawaiian flights will be clearly branded across digital channels with an image of the Pualani aircraft tail.

With a single operating certificate, several Honolulu-based leadership positions formally take effect to support the Hawaiian Airlines brand and the combined organization’s operations to, from and within Hawai‘i.

Diana Birkett Rakow, executive vice president of public affairs and sustainability at Alaska Airlines, becomes CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, succeeding Joe Sprague, who is retiring after a distinguished career with Alaska Air Group.

Jim Landers, Hawaiian Airlines senior vice president for technical operations, assumes the role of head of Hawaiʻi operations, while Shelly Parker, Horizon Air’s vice president of station operations and inflight, becomes head of Hawaiʻi guest operations. They will serve alongside other members of the Honolulu leadership team.