Hawaiian Airlines CEO Joe Sprague will retire later this year and be succeeded by Diana Birkett Rakow, currently the senior vice president of public affairs and sustainability at Alaska Airlines.
Alaska announced Wednesday that Birkett Rakow will take over as chief executive at Hawaiian on Oct. 29. She has worked at Alaska for eight years and in that time has led the company’s sustainability and corporate impact efforts, government affairs, communications, community and cultural relations, sales, and customer engagement in Hawaii and Alaska, and the airline’s venture capital arm, Alaska Star Ventures.
She will be based in Honolulu.
The change in personnel comes as Alaska continues to integrate Hawaiian, which it purchased in a $1.9 billion transaction in September 2024.
Sprague, who started with Alaska over 25 years ago and formerly served as president of regional subsidiary Horizon Air, has led Hawaiian since the merger closed last year. He will remain a member of Hawaiian’s board of directors.
“Diana has proven herself over an established career as a leader who builds strong teams, delivers results and cares deeply about people and culture,” said Ben Minicucci, CEO of parent company Alaska Air Group, in a statement. “She will be a tireless advocate for the Hawaiian Airlines brand and for Hawaii, and I’m confident she will lead with authenticity and vision.”
“I’m deeply grateful to Joe for his tremendous contributions to Alaska Air Group over the past 25 years,” he continued. “Joe has served Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, and most recently Hawaiian Airlines, by prioritizing culture and creating deep connections with employees and communities, while driving results.”
Kyle Levine, currently Alaska Air Group’s senior vice president of legal affairs, general counsel, and corporate secretary, will be promoted to executive vice president of corporate and public affairs and chief legal officer, while retaining the role of corporate secretary.
Alaska said it expects to receive a single operating certificate from the FAA – which would allow Alaska and Hawaii to operate as one airline – later this fall.
