Hawaiian Airlines Cancels Many Flights As A321 Problems Deepen

Hawaiian Air Remains Silent On Shutdown With Huge Cuts Looming

This week’s preparation for downsizing at Hawaiian Airlines, the largest private employer* in the state of Hawaii, does not bode well for travel or our economy. CEO Peter Ingram said 2,041 of the company’s 6,162 employees had received their upcoming furlough notices. Hawaiian Airlines employed about 7,500 people before COVID, almost all of whom are Hawaii-based. Ingram went on to say that the virtually imminent furlough was “Necessary to ensure our business survives and is poised to respond to opportunities when we can resume a more normal flight schedule.”

Hawaiian Airlines grounded and burning cash.

For the past six months, Hawaiian has been largely shuttered as the result of a 14-day mandatory quarantine for arriving passengers. With an unknown future based on when travel resumes and a hard to predict demand, the airline said it expects to be at least 15% to 25% smaller in summer 2021 compared with summer 2019. We sense that is optimistic. The company plans to “Build back the business over time from the smaller base.”

Hawaiian has been running through over $3 million daily during this tumultuous time. Nonetheless, the company is confident it will get through these unprecedented times.

Ingram had hoped voluntary departures and additional federal government support might forestall the inevitable. Thus far that hasn’t panned out. He reiterated his prior statement, however, that “The company would survive, but not as we were, not for a while… 90% of our people are based here in Hawaii. These are people who live and work and raise their families here in Hawaii.”

“We would welcome a six-month extension of… the CARES Act… Keeping our teams intact through March of next year would provide more time for demand to recover and hopefully reduce the scale of workforce downsizing. We will adjust our plans as legislative developments unfold. It is, however, critically important that we continue the preparations for furloughs while we wait to see what emerges from Congress.”

Hawaiian Airlines largely silent | Primary Hawaii travel stakeholder.

As the most influential and visible travel stakeholder in Hawaii, we would like to hear their voice at this uniquely critical time. For example, how do they envision providing an environment for the resumption of safe travel? That includes their take on testing (both pre-travel and on arrival), and any additional protocols that could help prevent their company’s further implosion, with the resulting impact on its employees. To say how ubiquitous Hawaiian Airlines is here, you are not likely to talk with someone who has been here very long who doesn’t know some of their employees or their families.

Ingram said that Hawaiian is working with the state to assure a safe reopening of travel. He cautioned that any further delay in the previously announced pre-travel testing could result in even more planned furloughs ahead. However, we continue to hear very little from Hawaiian about the state’s inability to implement or elucidate its previously announced pre-travel testing program. While we don’t know what Hawaiian may be thinking or saying behind the scenes, the state’s failure has resulted in their business collapse.

We are left asking ourselves, and you, what can Hawaiian Airlines do to help move the state of Hawaii forward?

Your comments speak to the situation at hand.

Jonathan said, “I’m surprised that the tourism industry is not camped outside Ige’s door screaming for blood. I would think that the first in line would be the CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. It’s strange to me that we’ve not heard more about why influential travel companies like Hawaiian are just rolling over and letting this happen?!?”

Jeanie added, “If Hawaiian Air would establish ‘rapid test’ procedures at every gate, and only passengers with a negative test would be allowed to board, thousands of tourists would return to Hawaii. No quarantine!! No increased danger to the islands. If a passenger has a positive test, they could be guaranteed ticket refunds for their party.”

Lisa said, “Some of the Federal-Aid Hawaii has received could have been used ingeniously to form a partnership between a qualified lab, Hawaiian airlines and the state of Hawaii. The state could have been on its way toward economic recovery and freedom. Having a local airline with this sort of partnership could have ensured responsible testing of visitors before they ever set foot in the islands.”

And James noted, “Why not form a partnership with Hawaiian airline carriers to temporarily eliminate Oahu from their schedules in favor of direct flights from the mainland and safer countries such as Japan and NZ? The “safest place in the U.S.” still works as a branding slogan. The airlines would include expedited CV19 testing. Their fare basis would include and factor in that partnership with labs that can offer 72 hour turnaround.”

Beat of Hawaii: All of your comments are appreciated. The reality is that Hawaiian Airlines cannot make testing mandatory. So even if they did offer it at the gate, people could opt-out. The entire testing debacle we were told would happen, was always shrouded in secrecy. There was supposed to be a contract with CVS to offer testing 72 hours prior to departure. That never happened and there are no obvious plans in place or on the drawing board.

* Hawaiian Airlines is the largest private employer in Hawaii other than health care providers.

69 thoughts on “Hawaiian Air Remains Silent On Shutdown With Huge Cuts Looming”

  1. Hawaiian Air’s 15-25% drop by next summer seems very optimistic. United’s CEO expects airfare to drop and revenues to plateau at 50% of 2019 levels until there’s a coronavirus vaccine. And of course people have to be willing to be vaccinated. Besides anti-vaxxers, many people don’t want to be ‘early adopters’ when it come to C-19 vaccine, especially since the entire process of creating one has been rushed, and many essential testing steps are being skipped or reduced. United and other major airlines are each laying off tens of thousands in October, and many of those will not be coming back.

  2. Several tourism-dependent countries have been accepting COVID-19 negative test holders for months already. Why on earth is the Hawaii state government dragging its feet? Hawaiian Airlines doesn’t have the authority or capability to create or run a testing program and even if it did, the state’s mandatory 14 day quarantine would still keep everyone away. That is the real reason Hawaii’s economy is dying while our elected leaders stand by and watch. You do bring up an excellent point about why tourism leaders aren’t camped out on Ige’s doorstep demanding action.

    1. Most of the world is currently closed to US travelers, test or no test. Some of the countries that are open, or allow entry with a test, have very bad track records for COVID-19, so maybe they feel they have nothing to lose. (CNN / travel has a very good map with details.)
      The big problem in the US, as far as testing for HI travel goes, is simply getting a test on time. The fact is that the vast majority of us do not have access to any test that is quick enough, and results back quick enough, to take a chance on booking air and hotel/condo and run the risk of not getting results back in time. It’s great to blame Ige, but he’s really not doing any worse than many US governors and national leaders worldwide. And the fact is that HI death rates and hospitalization rates are among the lowest in the nation.
      BTW, watch for a big spike in cases on the US mainland in a couple of weeks, followed by a spike in hospitalizations and then deaths. Huge crowds everywhere at the beach over this 3-day weekend; no masks and zero social distancing. We should see the results of this by the start of next month if not before.

    2. Most countries on the planet won’t let Americans in at all. Those that do are often those with high COVID rates already. And many of us can’t afford to risk making reservations since we can’t be sure of getting results back when we need them.
      I posted a more articulate version of this but it was deleted; I don’t know why.

  3. Sad news! HAL is my airline, and the legacy & history past & going forward are so important. I hope & pray they survive and regain the glory. A HUGE break will come when the Governor lifts the 14-day ban. I wanna book a 2020 Thanksgiving trip from the mainland, but am sitting on the fence until the ban is lifted.

  4. Are there any direct flights to Kauai at this time? My son was unable to get his dog ready to go to Hawaii because of the lockdowns in Michigan when he flew, and now he can’t get his dog to Kauai because of the reduced flights. He’s a new doctor in Kauai and trying to figure a way to get his 89 lb. dog to Kauai. Thanks

  5. Even tho Hawaiian airlines can’t require 15 min testing, Hawaii could upon entrance if one wasn’t done prior to boarding. I would fly in a heartbeat! Please consider this, as my daughter is military, stationed there and want to see her.

  6. This is found on the Alaska website:
    Beginning October 1, 2020: Travelers who have proof of a valid negative COVID-19 test result up to 72 hours prior to arriving at Hawaii’s airports will not be subject to the 14-day quarantine. The Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a CLIA-certified laboratory must be done prior to arrival. No testing will be provided upon arrival at the airport. All travelers of all ages are subject to the pre-test requirement.

    What do you think?

  7. Confused. Both Alaska Airlines and Dept of Tourism make website statements about eliminating quarantine for arriving passengers with a negative test within the past 72 hours.
    Is that misinformation? There are places on the Mainland that can do 2-3 day testing.

  8. “We would welcome a six-month extension of… the CARES Act… Keeping our teams intact through March of next year would provide more time for demand to recover and hopefully reduce the scale of workforce downsizing. We will adjust our plans as legislative developments unfold” This is the mentality that has kept Hawaii closed.

    1. “We would welcome a six-month extension of… the CARES Act… Keeping our teams intact through March of next year would provide more time for demand to recover and hopefully reduce the scale of workforce downsizing. We will adjust our plans as legislative developments unfold”
      This corresponds in content to what CEOs of other airlines have been saying, and the way they have been proceeding. How is it somehow “the mentality that has kept Hawaii closed”?

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