Alaska Airlines creates local advisory board as it moves to acquire Hawaiian Airlines

JAMM AQUINO / 2020

Alaska Airlines has formed a Hawai‘i Community Advisory Board to help shepherd its merger with Hawaiian Airlines. A Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A-330 and an A321 Neo, right, are seen at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

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Alaska Airlines announced Monday that it has established a Hawai‘i Community Advisory Board, or HICAB, to honor the legacy and significance of the Hawaiian Airlines brand as the airlines work toward combining as well as to reinforce Alaska Airlines’ expanded role in Hawaii.

Daniel Chun, Alaska Airlines regional vice president, Hawaii, said in a statement, “The HICAB will be instrumental in shaping the future of Alaska Airlines in Hawaii. Their insights into our local community’s needs and preferences will guide our decision-making, ensuring that our services and initiatives not only resonate with Hawaii residents, but also foster sustainable growth.”

Alaska Airlines has had 16 years in Hawaii; however, it’s poised to take on a bigger role with the pending acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, a $1.9 billion deal that was announced Dec. 3. Closure of the deal would make Hawaii the second-largest hub in the Alaska system, behind Seattle.

Peter Ingram, Hawaiian Airlines’ president and CEO, and Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in an earlier interview that the deal maintains both brands. They said it also will continue to respect the culture, reputation and community of Hawaiian Airlines, which was founded by veteran Navy pilot Stanley Carmichael Kennedy Sr. on Nov. 11, 1929, under the earlier Inter-Island Airways Ltd. name.

To move forward, the Department of Justice must approve the merger, which will be scrutinized to ensure that it does not violate antitrust laws or regulations. There is not a set timeline for the DOJ’s review or, if approved, for merging operations; however, the process is expected to take 12 to 18 months.

HICAB, which is built on a model that Alaska Airlines has used to support Alaska communities over the past four decades, is a diverse 16-member board made up of representatives from nonprofits, education, health care, business, tourism and agriculture. Intended as a corporate and community sounding board, members will provide Alaska Airlines with feedback and recommendations on its business approaches and initiatives, local current events and community investment needs.

Inaugural HICAB members include Paula Akana, president and CEO, The Friends of ‘Iolani Palace; Na‘alehu Anthony, founder, Paliku Documentary Films; Todd Apo, vice president, community partnerships and public affairs, Hawai‘i Community Foundation; Rosie Davis, executive director, Huli Au Ola, Maui County Area Health Education Center; Stephanie Donoho, administrative director, Kohala Coast Resort Association; Art Gladstone, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, Hawai‘i Pacific Health; Hokulani Holt, director of Kahokuala, Hawaiian Cultural Arts Institute, University of Hawaii Maui College; Stephanie Iona, community outreach manager, Kekaha Agriculture Association; Meli James, Mana Up co-founder; Valerie Janikowski, program administrator, Lana‘i Kina‘ole; Kuhio Lewis, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement CEO; Colbert Matsumoto, Tradewind Group chair; Ben Rafter, Springboard Hospitality president and CEO; Trisha Kehaulani Watson-Sproat, Honua Consulting president; Jayson Watts, director of environmental health and safety, Mahi Pono; and Kuha‘o Zane, Sig Zane Designs &SigZaneKaiao COO and creative director.