Sad News For Hawaiian Airlines

It’s sad news for Hawaiian Airlines employees, as the Alaska Airlines Group confirms a new round of layoffs will occur.

The decision involves cutting around 250 roles currently in place at Hawaiian Airlines, following the merger between the two carriers, which was approved in 2024, resulting in significant changes.

Several facilities will see 252 non-union employees depart the Hawaiian company, with the majority of the focus on those located at the corporate headquarters in Honolulu.

Despite the freshness of the announcement, airline spokespeople confirmed that those losing their positions were made aware of the decision for some time.

While these are non-union jobs, Hawaiian Airlines noted that its union positions have grown year over year, with more than 500 positions added in the last twelve months, despite visible restructuring.

Expectations and confirmation from executives within the group state that the layoffs will commence from September 18, 2025. They are not temporary layoffs; instead, they are a permanent decision being made.

The timing of the work reductions, announced by a spokesperson for Hawaiian Airlines, coincided with the eve of the first anniversary of the staggering $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines by the Alaska Airlines Group.

Reporting from the Honolulu Star Advertiser, set to arrive in mid-July, indicated the issuance of the WARN, or Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification.

While a challenging time for employees, the Group is committed to making the process as seamless as possible, offering packages, fresh opportunities, or support to help those being laid off find work elsewhere or within the Group.

A New Era For Hawaiian Airlines

Since Alaska Airlines’ purchase of Hawaiian Airlines was approved, it has been a whirlwind for all involved as a new era dawns on the Honolulu-based carrier alongside a shift in the long-term strategy for the business.

One of the most significant changes comes in the form of Alaska Accelerate, a combined vision unveiled in late-2024 which sees the two airlines come together to offer what they describe as a remarkable travel experience.

The announcement from this was confirmation that Seattle would become a new global gateway, and long-haul widebody planes would feature from the city, moving forward towards European and Asian markets, and even beyond.

The catch: Alaska Airlines does not have widebody planes in its fleet; thus, this represents a shift in the need for Hawaiian Airlines’ aircraft to be based here more often to facilitate these flights.

What this has spelled is the end of the long-term dream for some based in Hawaii that their carrier be considered a global airline. The deal with Alaska Airlines has reshuffled the focus, but not in a way that means the island loses out on connectivity; rather, it is the opposite, according to the broader group.

The vision will see Hawaiian Airlines operate to at least 12 nonstop destinations with long-haul widebody aircraft from what is being called the Seattle gateway.

The newly combined domestic network will also undergo strategic changes as required, including the selection of aircraft and the scheduling of services. The Group focuses primarily on improving overall performance, expanding growth, and other key objectives.

Hawaiian Airlines will increase the number of seats between Seattle and Honolulu by 20%, with three of the six daily nonstop flights operating on widebody aircraft instead of narrow-body aircraft. The aircraft enhancement will enable greater passenger and cargo capacity.

Fleet optimisation will occur throughout the business, and significant changes can be expected as Hawaiian Airlines embarks on a new era. As a result, certain employees may face challenges as roles are restructured.

However, the goal for the broader Group will be to become more streamlined and efficient, enabling it to compete more adequately across a host of markets.