With the Alaska Airlines merger now complete, Hawaiian Airlines plans to trim its workforce. According to the Anchorage Daily News, the Honolulu-based carrier will cut dozens of jobs by the end of the year.
The layoffs include 73 noncontract employees — 57 based in Hawaii with the rest located on the mainland. An airline spokesperson told the Daily News that these eliminations are “primarily for duplicative, noncontract operations support roles at airports.”
In a letter to the state of Hawaii’s labor agency, Alaska Airlines human resources chief Andy Schneider detailed the position cuts. 52 eliminations will take place at Hawaiian’s headquarters, four at a cargo hangar, and one at the airport itself. No details were provided on the mainland layoffs.
The spokesperson also shared that the affected employees will keep their jobs through Dec. 17 with pay through the year along with a severance package.
Most of the airline’s noncontract workforce — primarily consisting of corporate staff — received offers to stay at the combined company for at least six months. “The intent is to retain most people for a year or longer, many with long-term offers,” the spokesperson added.
The $1.9 billion Alaska-Hawaiian merger was finalized on Sept. 18. Now, the company is working to move both brands under a single air operator’s certificate.
