For 95 years, two letters, “HA,” have symbolized Hawaii’s connection to the world. Now they’re disappearing forever. According to the October 2025 schedule data filed by Alaska and confirmed by industry tracker AeroRoutes, Hawaiian’s flights will move into a temporary HA800–1299 range beginning October 26, 2025, before the ‘HA’ code itself is retired for flights on or after April 22, 2026.
Since 1929, “HA” has been more than a flight code. It has been a symbol of Hawaii’s resilience, connecting the islands to the world through war, recessions, and change. When Alaska Airlines first announced its purchase of Hawaiian, executives promised to preserve Hawaiian’s brand and spirit. But now, with this code disappearing, that promise is being tested in full view.
For Hawaii, this marks the end of a legacy that began with a single Bellanca monoplane carrying mail between Oahu and the neighbor islands. Through generations, Hawaiian Airlines grew into an international carrier while keeping its roots visible in those two letters. That is what makes this loss feel personal to so many.
The reaction mirrors the sadness felt when Aloha Airlines shut down in 2008. But this time, the loss is quieter. There will be no final flight or farewell ceremony. The code will simply fade from screens and systems, taking with it nearly a century of identity.
Why Hawaiian Airlines is saying goodbye to its code.
The process of removing an airline’s code is complex and final. Once flight numbers are reassigned, the airline’s internal systems, like ticketing, reservations, crew scheduling, maintenance, and even pilot call signs, are absorbed by the parent company. The name “Hawaiian” may appear for a while longer, but operationally, the airline becomes Alaska.
Alaska says Hawaiian’s brand will remain “for now,” yet history suggests otherwise. When Alaska merged with Virgin America, Virgin’s code and brand vanished within two years. When Delta absorbed Northwest, the same thing happened. Once an airline loses its code, the rest almost always follows.
What travelers need to know about the change.
Existing bookings will remain valid and honored. Flight numbers will transition to the AS prefix by April 2026. HawaiianMiles accounts have already merged into Alaska’s Atmos Rewards, and frequent flyer benefits will continue under Alaska’s loyalty program. Travelers can also expect new signage and gate assignments at major airports as integration continues.
By next spring, “HA” will vanish from every departure board and boarding pass. For travelers, that may be the moment the merger finally feels real.
This cultural loss comes with undeniable financial gain. Alaska is a company that can run a successful airline, and Hawaiian, especially in recent years, was anything but. The merger may erase a symbol, but it also brings stability, efficiency, and the resources Hawaiian could no longer sustain on its own.
The road ahead.
Alaska says Hawaiian’s livery and cultural programs will remain visible into 2026, but the industry pattern suggests the timeline may be short. Once an airline’s code disappears, a complete rebrand usually follows. That could mean the end of the Hawaiian name on aircraft tails, the loss of the “Hawaiian” pilot call sign, and complete integration into Alaska’s route and crew systems.
For travelers, the differences may appear slowly. The app icons will change first. Then the flight numbers. Then, one day, the name itself may fade. The flights will still connect Honolulu to Los Angeles, Maui to Seattle, and the islands to Asia, but under Alaska’s name and identity.
Share your HA memories. What was your first Hawaiian Airlines flight? Your most memorable journey?
Post your stories and photos below. We may feature the best in an upcoming tribute piece.
Photo Credit: Beat of Hawaii at HNL.
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Sad, grew up with airline…Will be missed. 3veryone trying to stamp out HA….have no fear….kanakas we comming back
Sentence me that Hawaiian Airlines brand name will disappear I was there when Aloha Airlines had its last Inaugural fight out of Kailua Kona. And it was a sad moment as for many of us our brand as Hawaiians and Hawaiian Islanders see that our culture is fading and we need to be strong and try to build this back up
Not to worry. ….kanakas not going anywhere
This is a telltale that Alaska does not plan to keep the Hawaiian brand. They lied to us to simply soften the blow. Hawaii residents are extremely loyal to their brands so I do think their profits will go down significantly when that happens. Look at Air France-KLM… same parent company but separate brands and separate call signs. Alaska combining the call signs and switching the names of Hawaiian fares is not coincidence. Alaska does not plan on keeping Hawaiians brand and I guarantee they will blame “shifting markets” as the reasoning when its all set and done.
Alaska has said from the first day that they planned to preserve the Hawaiian brand but merge the airlines under a single operating certificate, unionized employee bargaining agreement, and pilot seniority list. A single operating certificate, which BOH left out of this blog post, necessitates a single airline code. They haven’t deviated from that roadmap at all
It makes no sense to me. Horizon Air has been operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Alaska Air Group since 1986 with full integration and Oneworld Alliance status. However although they are integrated end to end with Alaska, they use the QX call sign. Why dump Hawaiian’s unless they really are dumping the brand? This really does feel like the beginning of the end.
That’s because QX and AS operate on separate certificates. HA and AS operate under a single certificate. They may paint 717s in HA livery, but the callsign will be “Alaska” and the term “operated by Alaska Airlines” will be very visible. My prediction is the E175s will be doing interisland replacing the 717s eventually!
I’d be pretty surprised if E175s replace the 717s when their time comes. My understanding is that don’t have the capacity or the ability to run 12 segments in a day the way the 717s can. HA network planners would have to make a lot of changes or add a lot more planes. We might see an A220 or E190 variant, but there’s no true replacement for the reliable workhorse 717 yet
This is so sad. Hawaiian’s former management failed not only the airline but the state and people.
They failed Alaskans 1st and foremost by moving it’s headquarters to Seattle, Washington. It now appears they may be replacing the Inuit on the tail which many Alaskans identify with – Eskimo is now outdated and insulting to the native people. Inuit is the proper name. Why can Alaskans fly over 3000 miles for $300-400. dollars? Alaskans trying to fly within the state are sometimes billed over $1000. fo a flight ✈️ instate!! Go figure.
In August 2025 I flew on one of the last 787 dreamliner flights with Hawaiian airlines. I flew from honolulu to jfk. I flew in the Leihoku suite. It was the best flight I have ever been on. I didn’t get sick, a headache or anything. Jet lag was a minimal. To think that is my last chance to experience such a wonderful flight is heartbreaking. The FA was so sweet, attentive and kind. The airplane gave the ambiance of Hawaii. It is truly a Hawaiian experience. I am so sad that the Hawaiian flight experience is disappearing. It was sad to see Aloha Airlines close but to have Hawaiian airlines go also is disheartening. I wish Alaska airlines would remember this
Losing Aloha Airlines was very sad and seeing Hawaiian slowly sink out of sight in Alaska’s system is just as bad, but it could have been worse, with Hawaiian going bankrupt and Southwest taking over… Alaska is a regular airline, with luggage transfer agreements, membership in a large international group sharing frequent flyer miles, etc. As a resident on the Big Island, I am more concerned about the future availability, frequency, and cost of interisland flights.
I have been a loyal Hawaiian Airlines customer since I started going home yearly for a vacation..yes I do not live daily in Hawaii..circumstances dictate I live on the mainland..Hawaii is and always will be “my home”.
As others have remarked on the “Aloha” you experience when boarding and since I fly first class it has been something I look forward to.
When they released that Hawaiian and Alaska would merge I took it as that..didn’t realize that Alaska was actually buying vs merging with Hawaiian. When I was growing up in Hawaii we flew Aloha and Hawaiian and I felt it was special to have that distinction.
I am saddened by this revelation in this article and now I have to determine which airline I will use to travel home to Hawaii.
I am a proud Hawaiian and I know it is always about the bottom line which is money…still I am saddened that Hawaiian Airline will cease to exist in a few months.
Thank you to all who made Hawaiian Air what it was.
Our first flight with Hawaiian Airlines was in 2013. We’d never been to Hawaii and my husband booked us First Class seats. (I’d never flown FC either) We were so charmed by the Aloha music, spirit of the crew and wonderful flight that we have not flown any other airline to Hawaii since that time. Now, we are able to go to Hawaii at least twice a year, and always fly Hawaiian. Our next trip is scheduled for April 21, 2026 for 10 days in Maui. I guess the flight home will have a different flight number. It’s sad, but the only thing you can always count on anymore is things changing.
My most memorable Hawaiian trip was the most recent. Round trip from OGG to JFK. The SFO-JFK was with Alaska equipment and crew. The legs on Hawaiian were as pleasant and comfortable as they’d always been. Smiling, helpful crew, comfortable plane. The leg on Alaska made me not want to fly again. They may have been having a bad day, but the cabin crew were confrontational and rude, and the equipment was old, tattered, and uncomfortable. After that flight, I think I might switch back to United.
Taken from a Hawaiian pilot employee forum;
“I have proudly broadcasted Hawaiian Airlines’ call sign around the world for the past 30 years. Whether it was flying troops to the Middle East or connecting families throughout Asia-Pacific, it’s not uncommon for foreign air traffic controllers to reply with “Aloha Hawaiian, Mahalo Hawaiian.” This call sign has been a vital part of our identity and ‘ohana for nearly a century. Once the final Hawaiian Airlines call sign is broadcast in the skies, we will lose another piece of our culture.”
What about employees and retirees? Will we sign in as HA or AS with ID90?
In attempting to purchase an airline ticket from Ca. To Maui yesterday, I spent an hour trying to figure it all out. Was I registered with Atmos or not? If not how to register. I got nowhere until I got to an agent after waiting 3 hours. It took her an hour to do everything and then I was able to book.Whew. I fear thus complication will cause a lot if people to stop using Hawaiian/Alasja and maybe use thus as another reason not to vidit.
We’re you automatically registered with Atmos or did they have to do that for you?
As others have noted that the possibility of losing the true Hawaiian Airlines aloha might be just around the corner, maybe, just maybe, Alaska will do what they said they would do and preserve the Hawaiian name and maybe the spirit. I believe many United aircraft still carry the Continental logo on their tails, many years after their merger. It might also be bad juju if the planes names and logos are removed. Let’s hope Alaska listens to their customers.
It already has Keith. I’m on vacation in Hawaii right now for the first time since January, and Hawaiian Airlines is dead. The magic was gone….
When United and Continental “merged”, a new aircraft livery was designed that incorporated the Continental “globe” on the tail and bold UNITED on the fuselage. I don’t know how such can be accomplished here: an Eskimo on the tail with “Hawaiian” sort of doesn’t work; likewise “Alaska” on the fuselage with Pualani on the tail ??!! Perhaps do what American does; have various airplanes displaying what they call “heritage” liveries. You’ll occasionally see AA jets with the Allegheny, TWA, PSA, etc liveries. AS could just keep a number of planes with the Pualani livery.
I don’t like the Alaska planes, period. They feel cramped. The staff are nice yes but I don’t feel the aloha. Their first class is nonexistent. I’ve flown first class from Hawaii to SF, Boston & NY on Hawaiian & as soon as you board you are taken care of & it’s comfortable. I’ve looked at Alaska’s first class & am like that’s it???? I’m not using my miles or money on that & Ive seen what they’ve served first class….
I don’t understand how something so simple has to vanish. Why can’t the two names merge? Why can’t it be Ha-Al or Al-Ha. It’s so sad.
Is the Hawaiian Master Card going away? Bank of America is Really not a favorite of mine!
I wonder too. Is there a point in keeping it?
We are already hating the change. Went to book flights ITO to HNL for December. Found the new system annoying & not as easy to navigate. Ok, we’re 73 & not into a lot of technology, but the Hawaiian site was super easy.
As a senior citizen I have seen many changes and not all good. I have been a loyal Hawaiian member and have already seen the differences in the planes’ interiors. This past summer they served mixed nuts instead of macadamia nuts. Not a biggie but a change. 50+ years ago I was a Delta stewardess and one night we flew on a Pan Am plane that was soon to be extinct. Very different.
It just feels like Alaska Airlines is lying through their teeth. I would have had more respect for them if they had just been honest from day one. They should have said that they were buying Hawaiian Airlines. Period. And that it would become Alaska Airlines. Period. Instead, all along, they have done the soft sell saying it would keep Hawaiian Airlines as their own brand with the same Aloha Spirit. Absolute lies. We have booked with Hawaiian on our future flights only to find that we have been switched to Alaska, losing our seat assignments. Alaska has been less than help saying if there was a price difference we had to deal with Hawaiian Airlines as Alaska Airlines were only partners with them. Again lies. Alaska owns Hawaiian and Alaska made the flight changes. We have lost all respect for Alaska Airlines, a carrier we have used often for mainland travel. We have had Alaska Airlines staff helping out in the boarding area of our Hawaiian flights. No Aloha Spirit.
What is really interesting about this transition is that, on the one hand, Alaska saved Hawaiian from most likely going under because of financial woes, which I believe got most people on the band wagon.
On the other hand, Alaska is set to weird out most of Hawaiians loyal customers by killing Hawaiians livery, tradition and “Hawaiian feel”, which I believe is part of the allure of Hawaiian Airlines.
This may sound strange to some, but I think that is what will bother me the most. When we arrive at the airport gate, just looking out the window at that jet makes me realize we’re on our way to our paradise. We (my wife and I) also became accustomed to looking at the jets name to see if we’ve flown on her before. Sad to think this will all be gone.
My wife and I have always looked forward to our flights with Hawaiian Airlines, especially fondly remembering the Premium Airport Service that made our journeys truly special. We just took a flight to Hawaii this past September, and while it was enjoyable, the recent conversations I had with your incredible crew revealed the emotional toll this change is taking. Witnessing the somber expressions of the crew and captain, who have dedicated themselves to providing us with exceptional service, was truly touching.
The warmth of Aloha we feel as we enter the aircraft is something unique and irreplaceable. As a frequent First Class traveler, I have always appreciated the comfort and personal attention from your flight attendants, who have always made every moment a delightful experience. Hawaiian Airlines has been more than just a means of transportation; it has been a part of our adventures and the joy of reaching our beloved Hawaii. Thank you for the wonderful memories; Hawaiian spirit!
Sad. Like many other things in Hawaii disappearing.
As long as the plane says Hawaiian on the side, I could not care less what the airline code is. I feel like this article is missing the key words “single operating certificate.”
If Alaska kills the Hawaiian brand I’ll be as upset as everyone else, but they’ve already spent a lot of time and money on preserving the Hawaiian brand where appropriate. There’s a reason the Atmos cards don’t have any Alaska branding aside from the Alaska/Hawaiian logos on the back.
So unless this comes to pass, I’ll look forward to my next trip in February. Mahalo
The first time my husband and I flew to HI was in 2011 from Phoenix. That was when HA flew the Boeing 767s. We enjoyed sitting in the middle aisle as it felt the roomiest. Our last flight was in 2017, still on the 767. We always enjoyed the atmosphere on the flights. The FAs were always very friendly, the food good and the Aloha spirit began at baggage check in.
We’d like to come back, but we’re not sure when, or if, that will happen. While I’ve never flown on Alaska, my husband has, mostly to Seattle for business. He’s never really had a problem with Alaska. We shall see.