Letter: Mayors can approve, but Hawaiian deal not sweet
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
Kumu hula Mehana Hind, center, presents an oli with Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram, left, and Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci during a news conference on Dec. 3.
The open letter from Hawaii’s four mayors promoting the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines by Alaska Airlines reads like a press release authored by the airlines’ PR departments (“Hawaiian, Alaska airlines combo is good for Hawaii,” Island Voices, Star-Advertiser, Feb. 18). Since the mayors are no different than the rest of Hawaii’s politicians — firmly in the pockets of big corporate tourism — this should surprise nobody.
Hawaiian is Hawaiian in name only. It’s a corporation owned by stockholders, few of whom live in Hawaii. Its customer service is legendary, and not in a good way. It has a fleet of Airbus A321neo planes with faulty engines under recall, and its aging wide- bodies and small Boeing 717s need to be replaced. Its new 787s are designed for restricted noncompetitive, high- density, long-haul international routes.
The pending acquisition does significantly reduce competition. l think federal regulators will oppose it and Alaska will come to its senses and drop the idea.
Paul Pollitt
Kaneohe
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