Hawaiian Holdings Reports 2022 First Quarter Financial Results

April 26, 2022
releases
Hawaiian Airlines
44 min read

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HONOLULU — Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA) (the “Company”), parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. (“Hawaiian”), today reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2022.

“Strong demand for leisure travel to Hawai‘i is poised to propel our domestic revenue to record levels as the effects of the pandemic are more muted now than at any point in the past two years. Based on these trends, we anticipate a resurgence of international demand as restrictive travel policies continue to loosen,” said Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram. "I am extremely proud of our wonderful team who are committed to connecting people with aloha."

Financial Results

First Quarter 2022

The Company reported a GAAP net loss of $(122.8) million, and an adjusted net loss of $(130.3) million.

The Company reported a GAAP EPS of $(2.39), and an adjusted EPS of $(2.54).

The Company reported EBITDA of $(96.0) million, and adjusted EBITDA of $(105.5) million.

First Quarter 2022 Highlights

Revenue Environment

The Company experienced strengthening demand throughout its domestic network as the impacts of Omicron eased through the quarter and COVID-19 restrictions for travel to the State of Hawai‘i were lifted at the end of March. The Company's domestic premium products performed exceptionally well during the quarter, with both business/first class revenue and Extra Comfort revenue exceeding 2019 levels. The Company's overall operating revenue is down 27% from first quarter 2019 as its international network is still rebuilding.

Other revenue was up 32% compared to the first quarter of 2019 driven by a record quarter of cargo revenue and the highest first quarter revenue from HawaiianMiles sales.

Routes and Network

In March 2022, the Company announced the return of daily nonstop service between Oakland, California and Kona, Hawai‘i from June 15, 2022 to September 6, 2022. The Company will also be adding a second daily flight between San Francisco, California and Honolulu, Hawai‘i from May 15, 2022 to August 1, 2022.

In April 2022, the Company announced the resumption of three-times-weekly nonstop service between Auckland, New Zealand and Honolulu, Hawai‘i starting July 2, 2022 and a seasonal increase in frequency between Seoul, South Korea and Honolulu for the summer of 2022.

During the first quarter of 2022, the Company operated at 88% of its 2019 first quarter system capacity, comprised of 118%, 75% and 25% capacity on its North America, Neighbor Island and International routes, respectively.

The State of Hawai‘i ended its Safe Travels Hawai‘i restrictions on March 25, 2022, removing the requirement that domestic travelers complete a Safe Travels application, which included providing either proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a pre-travel negative COVID-19 test result, in order to avoid a required quarantine period upon entering Hawai‘i.

Countries in the Company's international network made several positive changes to their respective travel restrictions including the following:

Australia lifted its remaining travel restrictions for visitors in February 2022 (restrictions were previously lifted for Australian citizens in December 2021);

South Korea lifted quarantine restrictions with proof of vaccination, requiring only a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of travel beginning April 1, 2022;

Japan ceased government required quarantine and increased allowable daily visitor arrivals to 10,000 beginning April 10, 2022; and

Starting May 1, 2022, New Zealand's borders will reopen to vaccinated visitors from visa waiver countries, including the United States.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of March 31, 2022, the Company had:

Unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $1.6 billion

$1.9 billion in liquidity, including its undrawn $235 million revolving credit facility

Outstanding debt and finance lease obligations of $1.9 billion

Air traffic liability of $761 million

Operational Excellence

The Company maintained its #1 national ranking for On-Time Performance for the 18th consecutive year in 2021, as reported in the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Air Travel Consumer Report.

In March 2022, the Company opened a 3,000 square-foot line maintenance facility at Long Beach Airport in California to expand space for its aircraft mechanics to perform maintenance on its A321neo fleet which will enable greater operational flexibility.

In April 2022, the Company announced an agreement with SpaceX to deploy its Starlink satellite internet service on its long haul aircraft. The Company expects to launch complimentary inflight connectivity in 2023.

People

In February 2022, the Company's employees represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers ratified five-year contracts that provide for wage increases and important work rule changes for nearly 2,500 employees.

In April 2022, the Company's employees represented by the Transport Workers Union of America ratified a five-year contract that provides wage increases and important work rule changes for 55 employees.

In March 2022, the Company launched a statewide hiring campaign to recruit for hundreds of airport and operational positions, as well as administrative roles, to support the Company as it rebuilds its network back to 2019 levels.

Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance

The Company continues to focus on creating long-term value and positively impacting the people, the environment and the communities it serves. The Company will publish its third annual Corporate Kuleana report in May 2022, highlighting its Environmental, Social, and Governance commitments.

In April 2022, the Company announced a new partnership with Conservation International, which provides guests with the opportunity to purchase certified carbon offsets to offset their Hawaiian Airlines flight's carbon emissions. The Company has also committed to offsetting all future business travel by its employees on Hawaiian’s flights.

Second Quarter 2022 Outlook

The Company expects its capacity for the quarter ending June 30, 2022 to be down approximately 11.5% to 14.5% compared to the second quarter of 2019, mostly driven by the delay of the full restoration of its Japan network.

The Company expects its total revenue for the quarter ending June 30, 2022 to sequentially improve from the first quarter and be down approximately 8% to 12% compared to the second quarter of 2019 due to strong demand throughout its network.

The Company expects its CASM excluding fuel and non-recurring items for the quarter ending June 30, 2022 to be consistent with the first quarter at up approximately 16.5% to 19.5% compared to the second quarter of 2019.

The Company's outlook of adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ending June 30, 2022 is $(50) million to $10 million, which reflects the resilient demand for Hawai‘i travel as the Company continues to rebuild its network.

The table below summarizes the Company's expectations for the quarter ending June 30, 2022 expressed as an expected percentage change compared to the results for the quarter ended June 30, 2019.

Item	Second Quarter 2022 Guidance	GAAP Equivalent	GAAP Second Quarter 2022 Guidance
ASMs	Down 11.5% to 14.5%
Total Revenue	Down 8% to 12%
Costs per ASM excluding fuel and non-recurring items (a)	Up 16.5% to 19.5%	Costs per ASM (a)	Up 27.8% to 30.2%
Gallons of Jet Fuel Consumed	Down 14.5% to 17.5%
Fuel Price per Gallon (b)	$3.59
Adjusted EBITDA (c)	$(50) million to $10 million	Net Income (c)
Effective Tax Rate	~21%

(a) See Table 3 for a reconciliation of GAAP operating expenses to operating expenses excluding fuel and non-recurring items.

(b) Fuel Price per Gallon estimates are based on the April 21, 2022 fuel forward curve.

(c) The Company is not providing a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to GAAP net income, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, as it is unable, without unreasonable efforts, to calculate certain special and non-recurring charges, which could have a significant impact on the GAAP measure.

Statistical information, as well as a reconciliation of certain non-GAAP financial measures, can be found in the accompanying tables.

Full Year 2022 Outlook

The Company is suspending guidance for the year ending December 31, 2022 due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the timing of the full resumption of its international network due to foreign government travel restrictions. The Company intends to resume providing full-year guidance when there is greater clarity related to its international markets.

Investor Conference Call

Hawaiian Holdings’ quarterly results conference call is scheduled to begin today, April 26, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (USA). The conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet. Investors may access and listen to the live audio webcast on the investor relations section of the Company’s website at HawaiianAirlines.com. For those who are not available for the live webcast, a replay of the webcast will be archived for 90 days on the investor relations section of the Company's website.

About Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 18 years (2004-2021) reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation and was named the #1 U.S. airline by Condé Nast Traveler's 2021 Readers Choice Awards. Consumer surveys by Travel + Leisure and TripAdvisor have placed Hawaiian among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawai‘i.

Now in its 93rd year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawaiʻi's biggest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers approximately 130 daily flights within the Hawaiian Islands, daily nonstop flights between Hawaiʻi and 16 U.S. gateway cities – more than any other airline – as well as service connecting Honolulu and American Samoa, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Tahiti.

The airline is committed to connecting people with aloha by offering complimentary meals for all guests on transpacific routes and the convenience of no change fees on Main Cabin and Premium Cabin seats. HawaiianMiles members also enjoy flexibility with miles that never expire. As Hawai‘i’s hometown airline, Hawaiian encourages guests to Travel Pono and experience the islands safely and respectfully.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow Hawaiian's Twitter updates (@HawaiianAir), become a fan on Facebook (Hawaiian Airlines), and follow us on Instagram (hawaiianairlines). For career postings and updates, follow Hawaiian's LinkedIn page.

For media inquiries, please visit Hawaiian Airlines' online newsroom.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that reflect the Company’s current views with respect to certain current and future events and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company's ability, timing and progress in recovering from the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic; future domestic and international demand for air travel; the Company's future routes and network changes; changes to COVID-19 related travel restrictions in various jurisdictions; operational flexibility generated from the Company's line maintenance base in Long Beach Station; the Company's in-flight connectivity partnership with SpaceX; the Company's statewide hiring campaign; the Company's environmental commitments, including related to emissions and offsets; the Company's timing for publishing its Kuleana report; the Company’s outlook for the first fiscal quarter and resumption of the Company's fiscal year 2022; and statements as to other matters that do not relate strictly to historical facts or statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” variations of such words, and similar expressions are also intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are and will be subject to many risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Company’s operations and business environment, all of which may cause the Company’s actual results to be materially different from any future results, expressed or implied, in these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the continuing and developing effects of the spread of COVID-19 on the Company's business operations and financial condition; whether the Company's cost-cutting plans related to the COVID-19 pandemic will be effective or sufficient; the duration of government-mandated and other restrictions on travel; the full effect that the quarantine, restrictions on travel and other measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 will have on demand for air travel in the markets in which the Company operates; fluctuations and the extent of declining demand for air transportation in the markets in which the Company operates; the Company's dependence on the tourism industry; the Company's ability to generate sufficient cash and manage its available cash; the Company’s ability to accurately forecast economic volatility; macroeconomic developments; political developments; geopolitical conflict; the price and availability of aircraft fuel; labor negotiations; supply chain constraints; regulatory determinations and related developments; competitive pressures, including the impact of industry capacity between North America and Hawai‘i and interisland; changes in the Company's future capital needs; and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.

The risks, uncertainties and assumptions referred to above that could cause the Company’s results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements also include the risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed from time to time in the Company’s other public filings and public announcements, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other documents that may be filed by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements included in this document are based on information available to the Company on the date hereof. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date hereof even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied herein will not be realized.

Table 1.

Hawaiian Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited)

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2022	2021	% Change
	(in thousands, except per share data)
Operating Revenue:
Passenger	$ 404,029	$ 137,469	193.9 %
Other	73,185	44,748	63.5 %
Total	477,214	182,217	161.9 %
Operating Expenses:
Wages and benefits	203,099	160,079	26.9 %
Aircraft fuel, including taxes and delivery	150,982	47,736	216.3 %
Maintenance, materials and repairs	55,650	34,252	62.5 %
Aircraft and passenger servicing	33,815	17,251	96.0 %
Depreciation and amortization	33,755	35,356	(4.5) %
Commissions and other selling	20,647	11,409	81.0 %
Aircraft rent	26,276	29,841	(11.9) %
Other rentals and landing fees	34,611	19,668	76.0 %
Purchased services	30,687	24,097	27.3 %
Government grant recognition	—	(147,270)	(100.0) %
Other	35,497	22,962	54.6 %
Total	625,019	255,381	144.7 %
Operating Loss	(147,805)	(73,164)	102.0 %
Nonoperating Income (Expense):
Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs	(25,037)	(23,693)
Interest income	4,434	1,249
Capitalized interest	1,052	684
Gains on fuel derivatives	—	217
Loss on extinguishment of debt	—	(3,994)
Other components of net periodic benefit cost	1,286	981
Other, net	11,246	20,896
Total	(7,019)	(3,660)
Loss Before Income Taxes	(154,824)	(76,824)
Income tax benefit	(32,015)	(16,133)
Net Loss	$ (122,809)	$ (60,691)
Net Loss Per Share
Basic	$ (2.39)	$ (1.23)
Diluted	$ (2.39)	$ (1.23)
Weighted Average Number of Common Stock Shares Outstanding:
Basic	51,288	49,472
Diluted	51,288	49,472

Hawaiian Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheet (unaudited)

	March 31, 2022 (unaudited)	December 31, 2021
	(in thousands, except shares)
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 481,212	$ 490,561
Restricted cash	17,253	17,267
Short-term investments	1,162,895	1,241,752
Accounts receivable, net	91,135	92,888
Income taxes receivable	72,792	71,201
Spare parts and supplies, net	35,923	34,109
Prepaid expenses and other	60,305	66,127
Total	1,921,515	2,013,905
Property and equipment, less accumulated depreciation and amortization of $1,033,614 and $999,966 as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively	1,931,596	1,957,623
Other Assets:
Assets held for sale	28,443	29,449
Operating lease right-of-use assets	516,355	536,154
Long-term prepayments and other	76,753	80,489
Intangible assets, net	13,500	13,500
Total Assets	$ 4,488,162	$ 4,631,120
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	$ 129,832	$ 114,400
Air traffic liability and current frequent flyer deferred revenue	760,783	631,157
Other accrued liabilities	157,687	165,050
Current maturities of long-term debt, less discount	60,431	97,096
Current maturities of finance lease obligations	23,607	24,149
Current maturities of operating leases	77,200	79,158
Total	1,209,540	1,111,010
Long-Term Debt	1,671,092	1,704,298
Other Liabilities and Deferred Credits:
Noncurrent finance lease obligations	95,173	100,995
Noncurrent operating leases	404,378	423,293
Accumulated pension and other post-retirement benefit obligations	155,457	160,817
Other liabilities and deferred credits	77,450	78,340
Noncurrent frequent flyer deferred revenue	305,575	296,484
Deferred tax liability, net	147,404	186,797
Total	1,185,437	1,246,726
Commitments and Contingencies
Shareholders’ Equity:
Special preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share, three shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021	—	—
Common stock, $0.01 par value per share, 51,327,070 and 51,233,369 shares outstanding as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively	513	512
Capital in excess of par value	270,028	269,575
Accumulated income	258,028	380,837
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net	(106,476)	(81,838)
Total	422,093	569,086
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	$ 4,488,162	$ 4,631,120

Hawaiian Holdings, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited)

	Three months ended March 31,
	2022	2021
	(in thousands)
Net cash provided by Operating Activities	$ 22,154	$ 122,009
Cash flows from Investing Activities:
Additions to property and equipment, including pre-delivery payments	(9,066)	(10,417)
Proceeds from the disposition of aircraft related equipment	1,124	117
Purchases of investments	(263,161)	(655,266)
Sales of investments	307,780	117,857
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	36,677	(547,709)
Cash flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from the issuance of common stock	—	68,132
Long-term borrowings	—	1,220,259
Repayments of long-term debt and finance lease obligations	(66,704)	(328,256)
Debt issuance costs and discounts	—	(24,664)
Payment for taxes withheld for stock compensation	(1,490)	(1,565)
Other	—	1,837
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(68,194)	935,743
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(9,363)	510,043
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash – Beginning of Period	507,828	509,639
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash – End of Period	$ 498,465	$ 1,019,682

Table 2.

Hawaiian Holdings, Inc.

Selected Statistical Data (unaudited)

	Three months ended March 31,
	2022	2021	% Change
	(in thousands, except as otherwise indicated)
Scheduled Operations (a) :
Revenue passengers flown	2,030	733	176.9 %
Revenue passenger miles (RPM)	2,974,352	1,054,128	182.2 %
Available seat miles (ASM)	4,242,483	2,466,043	72.0 %
Passenger revenue per RPM (Yield)	13.58 ¢	13.04 ¢	4.1 %
Passenger load factor (RPM/ASM)	70.1 %	42.7 %	27.4 pts.
Passenger revenue per ASM (PRASM)	9.52 ¢	5.57 ¢	70.9 %
Total Operations (a) :
Revenue passengers flown	2,036	737	176.3 %
Revenue passenger miles (RPM)	2,987,565	1,062,317	181.2 %
Available seat miles (ASM)	4,263,048	2,481,647	71.8 %
Operating revenue per ASM (RASM)	11.19 ¢	7.34 ¢	52.5 %
Operating cost per ASM (CASM)	14.66 ¢	10.29 ¢	42.5 %
CASM excluding aircraft fuel and non-recurring items (b)	11.07 ¢	14.30 ¢	(22.6) %
Aircraft fuel expense per ASM (c)	3.54 ¢	1.92 ¢	84.4 %
Revenue block hours operated	44,883	26,995	66.3 %
Gallons of jet fuel consumed	53,417	29,945	78.4 %
Average cost per gallon of jet fuel (actual) (c)	$ 2.83	$ 1.59	78.0 %

(a) Includes the operations of the Company's contract carrier under a capacity purchase agreement, which was indefinitely suspended in the first quarter of 2021 and terminated in the second quarter of 2021.

(b) See Table 3 for a reconciliation of GAAP operating expenses to operating expenses excluding aircraft fuel and non-recurring items.

(c) Includes applicable taxes and fees.

Table 3.

Hawaiian Holdings, Inc.

Non-GAAP Financial Reconciliation (unaudited)

The Company evaluates its financial performance utilizing various GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted net income (loss), adjusted operating expenses, adjusted diluted net income (loss) per share (EPS), CASM, PRASM, RASM, Passenger Revenue per RPM, and Adjusted EBITDA. Pursuant to Regulation G, the Company has included the following reconciliation of reported non-GAAP financial measures to comparable financial measures reported on a GAAP basis. The adjustments are described below:

During the three months ended March 31, 2021 the Company recognized $147.3 million in contra-expense related to grant proceeds under the federal Payroll Support Programs (Government grant recognition). The grant proceeds were recognized in proportion to estimated wages and benefits expense over the period to which the Payroll Support Programs relate.
Loss on extinguishment of debt is excluded to allow investors to better analyze the Company's core operational performance and more readily compare its results to other airlines in the periods presented below.
Changes in fair value of fuel derivative contracts, net of tax, are based on market prices for open contracts as of the end of the reporting period, and include the unrealized amounts of fuel derivatives (not designated as hedges) that will settle in future periods and the reversal of prior period unrealized amounts.
During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company reached a tentative agreement with the representatives of its International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM-M) and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers – Clerical Division (IAM-C) employees. In February 2022, the Company received notice from IAM that the agreement was ratified by its members. The new CBA included a signing bonus of $2.1 million, which was recorded in wages and benefits.
Unrealized loss (gain) on foreign debt is based on fluctuation in exchange rates and the measurement of foreign-denominated debt to the Company's functional currency.
Changes in fair value of foreign currency derivative contracts, net of tax, are based on market prices for open contracts as of the end of the reporting period, including the unrealized amounts of foreign currency derivatives (not designated as hedges) that will settle in future periods and the reversal of prior period unrealized amounts.

The Company believes that adjusting for the impact of the recognition of grant proceeds, changes in fair value of fuel and foreign currency derivative contracts, fluctuations in exchange rates on debt instruments denominated in foreign currency, CBA ratification bonus, and the loss recognized on the extinguishment of debt helps investors better analyze the Company's operational performance and compare its results to other airlines in the periods presented.

	Three months ended March 31,
	2022		2021
	Total	Diluted Net Loss Per Share	Total	Diluted Net Loss Per Share
	(in thousands, except per share data)
Net Loss, as reported	$ (122,809)	$ (2.39)	$ (60,691)	$ (1.23)
Adjusted for:
Government grant recognition	—	—	(147,270)	(2.98)
Loss on debt extinguishment	—	—	3,994	0.08
Changes in fair value of fuel derivative contracts	—	—	(382)	(0.01)
CBA ratification bonus	2,104	0.04	—	—
Unrealized gains on foreign debt	(11,582)	(0.23)	(19,043)	(0.38)
Unrealized gains on non-designated foreign exchange positions	—	—	(1,749)	(0.03)
Tax effect of adjustments	1,990	0.04	34,534	0.70
Adjusted net loss	$ (130,297)	$ (2.54)	$ (190,607)	$ (3.85)

Adjusted EBITDA

The Company believes that adjusting earnings for interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, non-recurring operating expenses (such as changes in unrealized gains and losses on financial instruments) and one-time charges helps investors better analyze the Company's financial performance by allowing for company-to-company and period-over-period comparisons that are unaffected by company-specific or one-time occurrences.

	Three months ended March 31,
	2022	2021
	(in thousands)
Net Loss	$ (122,809)	(60,691)
Income tax benefit	(32,015)	(16,133)
Depreciation and amortization	33,755	35,356
Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs	25,037	23,693
EBITDA, as reported	(96,032)	(17,775)
Adjusted for:
Government grant recognition	—	(147,270)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	—	3,994
Changes in fair value of fuel derivative instruments	—	(382)
CBA ratification bonus	2,104	—
Unrealized gain on non-designated foreign exchange positions	—	(1,749)
Unrealized gains on foreign debt	(11,582)	(19,043)
Adjusted EBITDA	$ (105,510)	$ (182,225)

Operating Costs per Available Seat Mile (CASM)

The Company has separately listed in the table below its fuel costs per ASM and non-GAAP unit costs, excluding fuel and non-recurring items. These amounts are included in CASM, but for internal purposes the Company consistently uses cost metrics that exclude fuel and non-recurring items (if applicable) to measure and monitor its costs.

	Three months ended March 31,
	2022	2021
	(in thousands, except CASM data)
GAAP Operating Expenses	$ 625,019	$ 255,381
Adjusted for:
Government grant recognition	—	147,270
CBA ratification bonus	(2,104)	—
Operating Expenses excluding non-recurring items	$ 622,915	$ 402,651
Aircraft fuel, including taxes and delivery	(150,982)	(47,736)
Operating Expenses excluding fuel and non-recurring items	$ 471,933	$ 354,915
Available Seat Miles	4,263,048	2,481,647
CASM – GAAP	14.66 ¢	10.29 ¢
Aircraft fuel, including taxes and delivery	(3.54)	(1.92)
Government grant recognition	—	5.93
CBA ratification bonus	(0.05)	—
CASM excluding fuel and non-recurring items	11.07 ¢	14.30 ¢

	Estimated three months ending June 30, 2022
	(in thousands, except CASM data)
GAAP operating expenses	$ 680,920	–	$ 717,905
Aircraft fuel, including taxes and delivery	(199,259)	–	(206,504)
Adjusted operating expenses	$ 481,661	–	$ 511,400
Available seat miles	4,409,814	–	4,564,544
CASM – GAAP	15.45 ¢	–	15.74 ¢
Aircraft fuel, including taxes and delivery	(4.52)	–	(4.53)
Adjusted CASM	10.93 ¢	–	11.21 ¢

Alaska Airlines pilot pulls some strings to delight guests

April 26, 2022
Guest Experience
Maria Cid
5 min read

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During long stretches at work, Buddy, an Alaska Airlines First Officer, will bring his acoustic guitar as his trusted travel companion.

“Music is a big thing for me,” said Buddy, who has played the guitar for over 20 years. “I think that everybody should have their own soundtrack going on in their mind all the time.”

Little did the San Francisco-based pilot know his musical gift would bring joy to guests on his next flight.

Music to airport ears

Earlier this month, while Buddy was flying from Austin to Seattle, the flight was delayed. Luckily, Buddy and his instrument were at the “right place, right time.”

“I was standing close to the gate and noticed one of our guests with two small children,” said Buddy. “The mother looked at me and said, ‘So, are you going to serenade us while we’re waiting?’”

Without hesitation, he pulled out his guitar to play for the kiddos.

“I got down on the ground right there with the little kids,” he said. “I started playing for one of the boys at first because he was all over the place and I was just trying to help distract him for a little bit.”

It’s not every day you see a pilot waiting alongside you at the gate; much less one with a guitar case. Video shot by Alaska customer service agent Elisa.

“We were delayed, which wasn’t the greatest news for parents traveling with a three-year-old and a one-year-old,” said Seattle resident and KING5 Reporter Steve Soliz. It was his wife who had jokingly asked Buddy whether “a serenade came with the price of a ticket.”

Other parents, whose children had also grown restless while waiting at the gate, gratefully watched as their kids were intrigued by the simple melody that suddenly filled the air. At one point, about a half dozen children surrounded Buddy.

https://twitter.com/SteveSoliz/status/1511130631824154627?s=20&t=E99saxVrMTuxRzl9lXVo-w

“Buddy even let my toddler touch his guitar,” he said. “My three-year-old son and I walked up on the impromptu concert. Buddy happily played for my little ones and the others near the gate, who also enjoyed this musical moment. To be honest, this is one of the many reasons we enjoy flying Alaska.”

The pilot, who was concerned about being too loud and bothering the guests waiting at the gate, had no idea the group of kids weren’t the only ones paying attention to him.

Customer Service Agent Elisa, who captured Buddy’s musical gift on cell phone video, said watching him serenade the crowd was such a touching moment.

I felt proud to work for a company who has employees that care, and Buddy needs this recognition,” Elisa said. “Buddy created a genuine connection that is off-script to what our job demands.”

Buddy was surprised to learn his small gesture had such a big impact.

“Every now and then you can do something that just seems so little to you that actually becomes a big deal to somebody else,” said Buddy. “If I can inspire anybody to do something, it would be — to be nice to other people. I think we all have the ability to do that.”

Pilot pathways and career development at Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air

This past year, we’ve established new programs to enable more young people to reach aviation and other career goals, working with local schools and establishing our own pilot academies.

ASCEND PILOT ACADEMY

As we plan for Alaska and Horizon’s future, we’re actively working to train the next generation of pilots through a variety of programs. In March 2022, we launched the Ascend Pilot Academy in partnership with Hillsboro Aero Academy, a premier flight school in the Pacific Northwest. The Ascend Pilot Academy provides aspiring airline pilots with a streamlined, more financially accessible path to becoming a commercial pilot at Horizon and eventually Alaska. At launch, 180 prospective pilots signed up for the program—more than double our goal!

For Horizon Air pilots seeking to become pilots for Alaska Airlines, the Pilot Pathways Program provides the most direct route. Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines share a goal of creating a rewarding career at the Air Group family of airlines and making the move from regional to a major airline, if desired, as simple as possible.

Each year, a minimum of 30% of Alaska new-hire pilots will come from the Alaska Pilot Pathways Program. In 2021, 32% (51 pilots total) of our overall pilot new hires at Alaska were Horizon transfers through the Pathways program.

Learn more

TRUE NORTH PILOT PROGRAM

Over the past year, a group of Black Alaska pilots got together to find creative ways to make aviation careers more attainable for aspiring pilots.

Led by Ron Limes, an Alaska captain since 1999, the group worked in partnership with their colleagues, peers and leaders from across our company to develop a program called True North.

The program will increase the diversity of our industry by directly funding students’ flight instruction, providing internship and mentorship opportunities and ultimately moving graduates to first officer positions at Horizon Air, with a confirmed path to Alaska.

The program kicked off in 2021 with four students from two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Delaware State University and University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. In the future, we plan to expand the program to other schools as well as broaden its scope of career opportunities within Alaska.

Learn more

Hawaiian Airlines Dispatchers Ratify 5-Year Contract

April 25, 2022
releases
Hawaiian Airlines
2 min read

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HONOLULU – Hawaiian Airlines dispatchers, represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 592, have ratified a 5-year contract providing significant wage increases and other work benefits, the company announced today.

“Our dispatchers continue to play an essential role behind our success navigating operational challenges posed by the pandemic while helping us maintain our schedule reliability and industry-leading punctuality,” said Jon Snook, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Hawaiian Airlines. “We are pleased to ratify an agreement that recognizes their many contributions to our company as we restore more of our services and move toward a full recovery.”

The TWU represents more than 65,000 U.S. aviation workers, including 55 at Hawaiian Airlines.

About Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian^® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 18 years (2004-2021) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation and was named No. 1 U.S. airline by Condé Nast Traveler’s 2021 Readers Choice Awards. Consumer surveys by Travel + Leisure and TripAdvisor have placed Hawaiian among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawaiʻi.

Now in its 93rd year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawaiʻi's biggest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers approximately 130 daily flights within the Hawaiian Islands, daily nonstop flights between Hawaiʻi and 16 U.S. gateway cities – more than any other airline – as well as service connecting Honolulu and American Samoa, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Tahiti.

The airline is committed to connecting people with aloha by offering complimentary meals for all guests on transpacific routes and the convenience of no change fees on Main Cabin and Premium Cabin seats. HawaiianMiles members also enjoy flexibility with miles that never expire. As Hawai‘i’s hometown airline, Hawaiian encourages guests to Travel Pono and experience the islands safely and respectfully.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow Hawaiian’s Twitter updates (@HawaiianAir), become a fan on Facebook (Hawaiian Airlines), and follow us on Instagram (hawaiianairlines). For career postings and updates, follow Hawaiian’s LinkedIn page.

For media inquiries, please visit Hawaiian Airlines’ online newsroom.

Pledge To Our Keiki to help leave Hawai‘i better than you found it

April 22, 2022
Sustainability
Ali Garbino
6 min read

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As part of Volunteer Week Hawai‘i, Alaska signed the Pledge To Our Keiki, giving back to Hawai‘i in partnership with travel2change and the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).

In Hawai‘i, mālama means to care for, or to nurture. For Auli‘i, 14, it is a way of life and all she’s known.

“Since we were little, we’ve been taught about taking care of the environment and ecosystem in school, from our grandparents and basically everyone—mālama is about respecting our cultural roots, nature and leaving places better than when you found them,” she said.

Auli‘i is one of several students on Moloka‘i, a small island within Maui County, who helped create Hawai‘i’s Pledge To Our Keiki to encourage visitors to respect and care for the places she and other youth call home. The Pledge, stewarded by Kanu Hawai‘i, translates into Hawaiian “the pledge to our children.”

Mālama Hawai‘i with us by signing onto the pledge

In honor of Earth Month and our efforts to care for the planet, Alaska Airlines signed the Pledge and is inviting our guests to do the same, in support of their goal to get 50,000 signatures in 2022.

Photos by Ingrid Barrentine

Guests on this special trip also experienced our infamous Delight Flight, which meant everyone onboard was surprised with a roundtrip ticket on Alaska Airlines for future travel and a free annual membership from travel2change. They were also treated to a special performance by Native Hawaiian, Grammy-Nominated Producer and Singer-Songwriter, Kimié Miner, along with hula performances by Alaska Airlines employees.

As part of Volunteer Week Hawai‘i, a group of employees and volunteers in partnership with travel2change and the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) recently ventured to O‘ahu to get a better understanding of what it means to mālama and leave behind a positive impact where you fly.

Understanding that the impact we have now will be the reality for the next generation. It’s our responsibility to preserve our lands and ensure our future children have the same opportunities we did.” – Michelle, network planning & green team (our environmental business group).

Before walking along the shoreline and planting native plants near Ka‘ena Point, Kekai Mar, DLNR’s Park Interpretive Program Specialist, took a moment to share the importance of asking the land to welcome us in, “it’s like knocking on someone’s door before entering.” He says should always ask the land for permission and wait for a sign that it’s okay to enter — whether it be starting a hike or walking down the beach. The sign could be a light breeze, the sound of crashing waves, a bird chirping or an insect buzzing by.

“Our elders have taught us that we are part of the environment, not above it, which means that the life, lands and waters are more than just our surroundings, it’s our home, we must treat it like family and with the utmost respect,” said Kekai.

For Jacqueline, who works in revenue management and leads Alaska’s Green Team, the concept of taking the time to appreciate a place and culture before letting yourself in was remarkable and something she hopes to incorporate in future travel experiences.

“I thought about all the things we do these days without ‘thinking’ about it or appreciating ‘why’ we’re doing what we’re doing. Kekai took the time to introduce the science, culture and land to us before we even picked up a shovel. His stories rooted the work to meaning and purpose. I now feel a relationship to the land we visited and an obligation to take care of it,” she said.

I took the Pledge because it’s the right thing to do. We should tread lightly wherever we go, striving to leave a place better than we found it. Flying is a wonderful way to see the world! What better way to appreciate a place than learning about and giving back to it? I promise the trip will be much more meaningful!” – Jacqueline

“The experience instilled a sense of responsibility and stewardship to honor and respect the environment around me. I viewed all my hikes, beach, park walks, etc. after with an enriched appreciation for the beautiful places I am fortunate to travel to and live in,” said Michelle.

While smaller than a grain of rice, the endangered Hawaiian, yellow-faced bee is extremely important to many native Hawaiian plants and lives inside tiny objects like sticks, coral and man-made posts such as these. The decline of these bees could lead to the extinction of the plants that rely upon them. Alaska’s efforts to help restore native plants, helps the bees pollinate, which helps the plants and surrounding habitat thrive.

We know even the smallest thing can have the biggest impact, which is why it’s important for travelers to be mindful of where they step, what they take and how they give back,” said Auli‘i.

Taking the Pledge is one thing we all can do to be more mindful travelers but turning the Pledge into action is the next important step. Alaska is proud of our most recent commitments and actions to help care for Hawai‘i, as well as all of the places we fly. This includes our goal of becoming the most fuel-efficient airline by 2025 and achieving Net Zero by 2040. We’ve also made commitments to reduce our waste impact and took action in 2021 by switching to Boxed Water, which saves 1.8M pounds of plastic from ending up in our oceans. Last year, we announced a partnership with travel2change, a Hawai‘i-based social and environmental impact organization that connects travelers with volunteer experiences in the Hawaiian Islands.

Air Group employees Samantha, Hope and Paul planting native plants near Ka‘ena Point.

For Alaska, this marks 15 years of flying to Hawai‘i, and we want to help keep the islands strong and beautiful for many future generations to enjoy.

Mālama Hawai‘i with us by signing onto the pledge

Alaska Air Group reports first quarter 2022 results

April 21, 2022
Other News
Alaska Airlines
4 min read

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Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK) today reported financial results for its first quarter ending March 31, 2022 and provided outlook for the second quarter ending June 30, 2022.

“Alaska has a proven track record and a resilient business model that delivers in good times and through challenging ones. We are on course to deliver 6% to 9% adjusted pre-tax margins in 2022, as we recently announced at our investor day,” said CEO Ben Minicucci. “March results were particularly strong, marked by our highest cash sales month in history and revenues that exceeded 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic began. Our people are working hard to get our airline back to its pre- COVID size and to return to growth from there, all while delivering the operational excellence that we’re known for. It’s an honor to have our company’s hard work recognized by Air Transport World as the 2022 Global Airline of the Year.”

Financial results:

Reported net loss for the first quarter of 2022 under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of $143 million, or $1.14 per share, compared to a net loss of $131 million, or $1.05 per share in the first quarter of 2021.
Reported net loss for the first quarter of 2022, excluding special items and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments, of $167 million, or $1.33 per share, compared to a net loss, excluding special items and mark-to-market fuel hedge accounting adjustments, of $436 million or $3.51 per share, in the first quarter of 2021.
Generated $287 million in operating cash flow for the first quarter, driven by increased advance bookings as both leisure and business demand for air travel continue to recover.
Held $2.9 billion in unrestricted cash and marketable securities as of March 31, 2022.
Ended the quarter with a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 50%, within our target range of 40% to 50%.

Operational updates:

Announced plans to accelerate the transition of Alaska’s mainline fleet to all-Boeing and introduced new plans to transition Horizon’s regional fleet to all-Embraer jets by the end of 2023. This transition is expected to drive significant economic benefits through cost savings, operational simplicity and better fuel efficiency.
Extended the co-branded Mileage Plan credit card agreement with Bank of America through 2030, providing expanded guest benefits and accelerating Alaska’s strategic growth plans in the West Coast.
Modified the Boeing aircraft order to include six firm and 41 option 737-10 aircraft and 10 firm 737-8 aircraft. The new mix of aircraft types provides an optimal fleet for our network and anticipated growth.
Announced plans to renovate and expand Alaska lounges in Seattle and Portland to provide additional capacity and enhanced amenities, with both expected to open by 2026.
Received nine Boeing 737-9 aircraft, bringing the total number of 737-9s in our fleet to 20.
Added Air Tahiti Nui as a new global Mileage Plan partner, allowing our guests to earn miles flying nonstop between Seattle or Los Angeles and French Polynesia.
Expanded codeshare agreement with Finnair, bringing total codeshare growth to more than 250 routes since Alaska’s entrance into the oneworld alliance in 2021.

Recognition and awards:

Awarded the 2022 Airline of the Year by Air Transport World, given to an airline each year in recognition of outstanding performance, innovation and superior service.
Named to the TIME100 Most Influential Companies list, highlighting Alaska’s commitment to make meaningful changes in the climate impact of aviation.

Announced Patricia Bedient as the next chair of Alaska Air Group’s Board of Directors, replacing Brad Tilden effective May 5, 2022.
Launched the Ascend Pilot Academy in partnership with Hillsboro Aero Academy, providing aspiring pilots a simpler and more financially accessible path to become a commercial pilot at Horizon and Alaska.
Alongside other oneworld partners, signed two offtake agreements to procure sustainable aviation fuel for California operations, beginning in 2024.

Tune in:

A conference call regarding the first quarter results will be streamed online at 8:30 a.m. PDT on April 21, 2022. It can be accessed at www.alaskaair.com/investors. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available after the conclusion of the call.

Full earnings financial data:

Statistical data, reconciliations of the reported non-GAAP financial measures, further details regarding results and a glossary of financial terms can be found in our Earnings Release as filed with the SEC.

View full earnings financial data

Alaska Airlines names new vice president of finance and controller

April 21, 2022
Other News
Alaska Airlines
2 min read

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Alaska Airlines has named Emily Halverson vice president of finance and controller for Alaska Airlines and Alaska Air Group. As Alaska’s vice president of finance and controller, Halverson will set the strategy for and oversee financial reporting, payroll, investor relations and accounting operations.

Halverson joined Alaska Airlines in 2016 as director of financial reporting and accounting. She became the director of investor relations in 2019 and was promoted to managing director of accounting, investor relations and assistant controller in 2020. Halverson helped lead the company through financial integration following the acquisition of Virgin America and played a key role in communicating the company’s recovery progress and strategic priorities to stakeholders over the past two years. Before joining Alaska, Halverson worked for Deloitte.

I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Emily for over two years, and I couldn’t be more excited to have her in this role,” said Shane Tackett, chief financial officer and executive vice president for Alaska Airlines. “Emily is extremely capable and leads her teams expertly to deliver results and champion the airline with investors.”

Halverson is a certified public accountant and earned her MBA degree through the Executive Master of Business Administration program at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and French from Western Washington University. A lifelong Washingtonian, she and her family reside in Seattle.

Hawaiian Airlines Partners with Jason Momoa’s Water Company Mananalu, Featuring Infinitely Recyclable Aluminum Bottles

April 20, 2022
releases
Hawaiian Airlines
5 min read

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HONOLULU – Hawaiian Airlines is bringing Mananalu, the water company founded by Hawaiʻi environmental activist and celebrity Jason Momoa, to its Premium Cabins to replace plastic water bottles with infinitely recyclable aluminum bottles.

Starting tomorrow, Hawaiʻi’s hometown airline will begin distributing Mananalu’s 16-ounce aluminum bottle to Premium Cabin guests on all U.S. East Coast and international flights. The recyclable product will also replace plastic water bottles sold on Hawaiian’s Pau Hana snack cart on the carrier’s flights between Hawaiʻi and its 16 continental U.S. gateway cities.

Mananalu's infinitely recyclable aluminum bottles will replace plastic water bottles served on Hawaiian’s Pau Hana snack cart, available on the carrier’s flights between Hawaiʻi and its 16 continental U.S. gateway cities.

“We have remained steadfast in our commitment to source more sustainable products for our onboard service, and our Mananalu partnership helps us continue to phase-out single-use plastics and protect our oceans and environment,” said Avi Mannis, chief marketing and communications officer at Hawaiian Airlines.

Hawaiian anticipates eliminating approximately 142,000 plastic bottles from its transpacific operations each year through its partnership with Mananalu. For every plastic bottle replaced onboard, Mananalu, a certified carbon neutral company and 1% for the Planet member, will divert an additional bottle away from oceans and waterways through its work with leading plastic action platform repurpose Global, resulting in an additional 142,000 bottles removed annually.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with Hawaiian Airlines. Together we’re reducing single-use plastic bottles on flights and removing plastic from our oceans. It’s perfect brand alignment," said David Cuthbert, CEO of Mananalu.

All Premium Cabin guests on Hawaiian's U.S. East Coast and international flights will receive a personal 16-ounce Mananalu water bottle.

Mananalu has worked to educate consumers about the impact of plastics on the environment since Momoa founded the company in 2019 in collaboration with the Ball Corporation, the world's largest aluminum producer. Mananalu packages its water products in BPA-free aluminum, the most recycled material across the globe, with more than 75% of all aluminum produced still utilized today. It also uses triple-filtered purified drinking water with added electrolytes and a neutral PH of approximately 7, responsibly sourced in the United States for minimal carbon impact. Consumers can purchase Mananalu products on its website, Amazon, Erewhon Market in southern California, Sprouts Farmers Market locations nationwide, and Foodland, a HawaiianMiles partner with stores throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

Through the end of April, HawaiianMiles members can also earn one mile per dollar spent on Mananalu products when shopping at any Foodland location.

Hawaiian has made significant investments toward its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives, including a pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 through ongoing fleet modernization, more efficient flying, carbon offsets, and industry advocacy for air traffic control reform and sustainable aviation fuel development. To learn more about Hawaiian Airlines' sustainability work, visit http://www.HawaiianAirlines.com/About-Us/Corporate-Responsibility.

About Mananalu
Mana – what? Mananalu is a water brand on a mission to eradicate single-use plastic water bottles. Founded by actor, environmentalist, and Hawaiian-native, Jason Momoa, we are creating a wave of change by bottling water in infinitely recyclable aluminum. And for every bottle sold, we remove the equivalent of one plastic bottle from ocean-going waste, together with rePurpose Global. It’s time to Unplastic. To learn more, visit www.mananalu.com.

About Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian^® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 18 years (2004-2021) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation and was named No. 1 U.S. airline by Condé Nast Traveler’s 2021 Readers Choice Awards. Consumer surveys by Travel + Leisure and TripAdvisor have placed Hawaiian among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawaiʻi.

Now in its 93rd year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawaiʻi's biggest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers approximately 130 daily flights within the Hawaiian Islands, daily nonstop flights between Hawaiʻi and 16 U.S. gateway cities – more than any other airline – as well as service connecting Honolulu and American Samoa, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Tahiti.

The airline is committed to connecting people with aloha by offering complimentary meals for all guests on transpacific routes and the convenience of no change fees on Main Cabin and Premium Cabin seats. HawaiianMiles members also enjoy flexibility with miles that never expire. As Hawai‘i’s hometown airline, Hawaiian encourages guests to Travel Pono and experience the islands safely and respectfully.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow Hawaiian’s Twitter updates (@HawaiianAir), become a fan on Facebook (Hawaiian Airlines), and follow us on Instagram (hawaiianairlines). For career postings and updates, follow Hawaiian’s LinkedIn page.

For media inquiries, please visit Hawaiian Airlines’ online newsroom.

Dispatchers at Alaska Airlines ratify new five-year contract 

April 19, 2022
Other News
Alaska Airlines
2 min read

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SEATTLE — Alaska Airlines’ 100 dispatchers, who are represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), have ratified a new five-year contract. The contract was approved by 81% of those employees who voted. The new contract includes increased pay with a mid-term market review to ensure wage rates stay competitive, along with enhanced benefits and streamlined training.  

Alaska’s dispatchers are responsible for flight planning and tracking to ensure the safety and progress of each flight conducted by the airline from origin to destination. They are the carrier’s primary command and control link with Alaska pilots, providing en route weather, airport facility and other flight safety information.

“Our dispatchers play a critical role in our operation with responsibility for every single flight throughout the system,” said Jenny Wetzel, vice president of labor relations at Alaska Airlines. “I’m glad we were able to reach an agreement that works for dispatchers and our company’s long-term success. This means, even amid an uncertain economy, we can increase pay and enhance their benefits today.” 

“TWU was impressed with the logic-based approach taken in these negotiations by the Alaska negotiators,” said Gary Peterson, TWU international vice president and air division director. “Early on both groups agreed on the industry analysis each of us had independently performed, which helped us reach an agreement in-line with our amendable date.”

The previous contract became amendable on March 24, 2022. Contracts in the airline industry do not expire. Once they become amendable, the current contract remains in effect until a new agreement is ratified.

Face masks are now optional on our planes and in airports under new guidance

April 18, 2022
Guest Experience
Alaska Airlines
3 min read

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Face masks have been like boarding passes for nearly two years — you couldn’t fly without one. But, as of today, masks are optional in airports and onboard aircraft, effective immediately.

Note: Despite Federal changes, travelers must continue to wear masks on flights both to and from Canada. Masks must still be worn in airports within Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Los Angeles County and Mexico. See other special travel instructions.

Due to a judicial decision in our federal court system, the mask mandate has been overturned, which means our guests and employees have the option to wear a mask while traveling in the U.S. and at work.

Safety is always our highest priority, so while we love to see your smiling faces in the airport and on board, we respect your decision to keep using this added layer of protection. Above all, we hope you’ll treat each other with kindness and respect throughout the travel journey and beyond.

“It has been a long 24 months with nearly constant change. I could not be prouder of our frontline employees who have handled every pivot focusing on safety and the care we’re known for,” said Max Tidwell, VP of safety & security at Alaska Airlines. “We’re also thankful for our guests who remained considerate, patient and stood by us throughout every twist and turn.”

Even as more pandemic protocols and policies ease, our team will remain vigilant and prepared for whatever may come next. Safety remains our top priority. And while we sincerely hope most of these challenges are in our rear-view mirror, we are confident we will be ready to respond if faced with another COVID wave or even a new virus.

What happens to guests who were banned because of not following our previous mask policy? Throughout the last two years, we have relied on reporting from agents and flight attendants to ban noncompliant guests from traveling while the federal mask policy remained in effect. Based on our reports, we will have some guests whose behavior was particularly egregious who will remain banned, even after the mask policy is rescinded.

As always, we will continue to hold safety as our highest value. Thank you again to our loyal guests and team of 22,000 people who came together over the last two years to do the right thing and take care of one another. We’ve proven we can do anything together.

Earth Month: 5 ways you can join Alaska Airlines in caring for the planet

April 14, 2022
Sustainability
Alaska Airlines
7 min read

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At Alaska, we make conscious choices every day to reduce the impact of our operations in big ways—like purchasing the most fuel-efficient aircraft and using sustainable aviation fuels – and seemingly little ones like composting coffee grounds onboard and using locally made food and beverages. Every action has an impact. We are also here to help our guests find ways to be a conscious traveler and lighten their carbon footprint.

Caring for the planet shouldn’t just be top of mind during Earth Month, it should show up in all parts of our lives. Reducing your footprint may seem like a vague or overwhelming task. But you can start by choosing one thing and doing it well.

Here are five ways we’re making progress, and how you can join us:

1. BE MINDFUL AT HOME AND WHEN YOU TRAVEL

Whether you’re traveling or venturing out in your local community, consider how small steps add up to big outcomes for the natural world around us.

In Seattle, take the light rail to and from the airport, or to the Seattle Center to watch a Kraken game, where our partners at the Climate Pledge Arena are delivering lofty standards for large venues and sustainability. We’re proud to be part of the most sustainable arena in the world and to have signed The Climate Pledge to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

If you’re planning to travel to Hawaii, practice malama – which means to take care – by giving back to the community through volunteer activities with our partners at Travel2Change. The possibilities are endless — from planting native trees to cleaning up historical sites or beaches or learning more about native Hawaiian language and culture.

In partnership with *@travel2change*, we’re connecting travelers to volunteer experiences throughout the Hawaiian Islands—because travel means more when you leave a positive impact on the communities you visit. Visit the link in our bio to learn more!

By giving back to the places you live and fly, you’ll get a truer sense of place and walk away with deeper, more meaningful connections from your travel experience. And isn’t that what travel is all about?

2. DITCH PLASTIC FOR GOOD

Did you know only 9% of plastic gets recycled nationwide? The rest usually ends up in landfills, is burned or finds its way into our oceans. Our West Coast Wonders aircraft, adorned with marine life and named by our employee-driven “Green Team,” serves as a constant reminder of why we do this work to reduce our climate impact through carbon, waste and water.

The special Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft was inspired by the beautiful places we fly to and reflects our support for projects to restore local habitats and biodiversity up and down the West Coast.

While we are proud of our industry-leading recycling program, we know we need to move to more renewable options and replace plastic entirely to protect our planet for the long-haul First, we challenge you to ditch the straw—like we did in 2018. That year, we were the first major U.S. airline to replace plastic straws and citrus picks with marine-friendly alternatives on our aircraft. The effort, made possible with the help of environmental nonprofit Lonely Whale, eliminated 22 million pieces of inflight plastic waste every year since.

Last fall, we tackled our top two waste-producing onboard products: switching from plastic water bottles to pouring Boxed Water on our flights, and from plastic water cups to recyclable paper ones for water service. These steps eliminated nearly 1.8 million pounds of single-use plastics from our flights each year.

Even better, pledge with us to #fillbeforeyoufly – bring your own disposable water bottle on your travels, keep it empty through security and fill er’ up at a water bottle filling station in the airport before you board your flight. Tag a photo of your refillable with #fillbeforeyoufly on social, and we will plant two trees in your honor through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation—whose goal is to plant 1 million trees on the West Coast to help reduce pollution and restore habitats for local fish and wildlife.

3. OFFSET YOUR FLIGHT

We are on a journey to reduce the carbon impact of our operations. But aviation is one of the hardest areas to decarbonize. Thankfully, offset programs like The Good Traveler can help us balance our footprint in the near-term.

The Good Traveler lets you offset the carbon emissions from your trip by investing in an offset project around one of the participating local airports. We joined this program because of the projects it enables, grounded they are in the places we live and fly. Together through The Good Traveler, travelers have helped offset over 112,000 metric tons of CO₂.

4. GO PAPERLESS AND REDUCE WASTE

We’re no stranger when it comes to investing in tech. We pioneered the use of RNP, a navigation technology that decreases emissions, improves safety and even gets you to your destination faster. This past year, we were also the first airline to implement new software called Flyways to support our efficiency-minded dispatchers in planning the most efficient routes to save time and carbon emissions.

But some aviation tech is in the palm of your hand. With the Alaska’s mobile app, you can check-in for your flight and get your boarding pass all on our app, eliminating the need to print paper boarding passes. You can also pre-order your favorite meal or snack you wish to enjoy onboard, which helps us predict catering demand and eliminate food waste.

As we continue to grow, we’re evolving our services and products in the air and in airports to create better experiences for our guests. We’re using the San Jose airport (SJC) as an incubator for the future of seamless travel, including kiosk-less lobbies, DIY bag drop, biometric boarding and beyond.

5. JOIN US ON THE JOURNEY TO NET ZERO

Last year, we announced our five-part path to net zero carbon emissions by 2040. This path includes operating as efficiently as possible including through use of the technologies mentioned above and using more electric vehicles at our airports.

It also includes bringing up to 145 efficient Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into our fleet, each of which is 22% more fuel-efficient than the aircraft they replace. But the biggest change in our carbon footprint will come from using Sustainable Aviation Fuel or SAF.

We’re proud to use SAF today from Neste, to work with SkyNRG Americas to advance production capability in the Pacific Northwest, and look forward to using more SAF, alongside airline partners in the oneworld alliance, through new offtake agreements with producers Aemetis and Gevo. And we’re glad to be in good global company: oneworld has a shared commitment to achieve net zero, and to use 10% SAF by 2030.

What can you do? Packing lighter for your trip helps us burn less fuel overall; each pound makes a difference to our CO2 emissions. If each guest packed 5lbs lighter, it would decrease our CO2 emissions by 11,800 metric tons each year. So, next time you go maybe ask yourself do you really need those extra shoes?

Making progress in sustainability requires action, innovation, accountability, and transparency. In 2021, underscoring the importance of our social and environmental sustainability goals, we made a portion of our all-employee performance-based bonus pay dependent on progress in our carbon intensity, and a portion of long-term executive compensation dependent on improving racially diverse representation in leadership. In our upcoming annual sustainability report, we’ll share more about our progress and stories from our journey.

Thank you for joining us on the path to a sustainable future for aviation and places around the world.

Alaska Airlines is all-in at Paine Field – our full schedule resumes this June

April 14, 2022
Destinations
Alaska Airlines
3 min read

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Our guests can fly on 18 peak daily departures this summer, including San Francisco flights from Paine Field in Everett, Wash. PAE saves time and offers added convenience for many flyers north of Seattle!

After an exceptionally long two years, our guests are flying again and we love to see it. At the newest commercial airport in the Seattle area, we’re making it easier to go places by adding more convenient flights as we ramp up to resuming our full schedule at Paine Field in Everett this summer.

With many of us eyeing a fun getaway or a long vacation, even that first face-to-face meeting with work colleagues in forever, our guests can currently fly on one of 16 peak daily nonstop departures between Paine Field-Snohomish County Airport and a variety of destinations throughout the West Coast.

Starting June 17, we’ll increase our flights to 18 peak daily departures – our full allotment of departures at the airport – which will include four daily nonstops to San Francisco, one of our key hubs that is the center of Bay Area business travel. Service between Paine Field and San Francisco resumes on May 19.

“Paine Field is a popular option for our guests flying in and out the Puget Sound region with its beautiful facility, compact size and ease to navigate – the terminal feels luxurious,” said Brett Catlin, vice president of network and alliances at Alaska Airlines. “We have many Mileage Plan members and elite flyers who live north of Seattle. We want to offer destinations that appeal to them while also being a convenient alternative to possible congestion to the south.”

From Everett, we fly to Boise, Las Vegas, Orange County, Palm Springs, Phoenix, San Diego, Spokane and Tucson. For the latest flight schedules and to purchase tickets, visit alaskaair.com.

“The challenges of the last two years across the travel industry were not unique to Paine Field, but we’ve always had a great partner in our hometown carrier, and we knew they were committed to us and the travelers of this region,” said Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports. “We look forward to Alaska bringing their full schedule back and offering great options out of Paine Field.”

To help our guests secure the lowest prices, we have added our popular Saver fare for the first time on flights to and from Paine Field. Saver fares have limited seat selection and no flight changes while providing Main Cabin benefits like comfortable seats and a free carry-on.

Our sister carrier Horizon Air provides most of our service at Paine Field with the Embraer 175 jet. We recently added 737 service on Alaska for the afternoon flights to Las Vegas and Phoenix. The E175 features First Class and Premium Class, and only window and aisle seating – there are no middle seats. Guests can enjoy hundreds of free movies and TV shows available for viewing on personal devices, free texting on most flights and Wi-Fi connectivity for purchase.

Hawaiian Holdings Announces 2022 First Quarter Conference Call

April 12, 2022
releases
Hawaiian Airlines
2 min read

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HONOLULU – April 12, 2022 – Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA), parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. (“Hawaiian”), plans to report its first quarter 2022 financial results after the market closes on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. An investor conference call is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time that day.

The call will be open to all interested investors through a live audio webcast accessible in the Investor Relations section of Hawaiian’s website at HawaiianAirlines.com. For those who are not able to listen to the live webcast, the call will be archived for 90 days on Hawaiian’s website.

About Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian^® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 18 years (2004-2021) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation and was named No. 1 U.S. airline by Condé Nast Traveler’s 2021 Readers Choice Awards. Consumer surveys by Travel + Leisure and TripAdvisor have placed Hawaiian among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawaiʻi.

Now in its 93rd year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawaiʻi's biggest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers approximately 130 daily flights within the Hawaiian Islands, daily nonstop flights between Hawaiʻi and 16 U.S. gateway cities – more than any other airline – as well as service connecting Honolulu and American Samoa, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Tahiti.

The airline is committed to connecting people with aloha by offering complimentary meals for all guests on transpacific routes and the convenience of no change fees on Main Cabin and Premium Cabin seats. HawaiianMiles members also enjoy flexibility with miles that never expire. As Hawai‘i’s hometown airline, Hawaiian encourages guests to Travel Pono and experience the islands safely and respectfully.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow Hawaiian’s Twitter updates (@HawaiianAir), become a fan on Facebook (Hawaiian Airlines), and follow Hawaiian on Instagram (hawaiianairlines). For career postings and updates, follow Hawaiian’s LinkedIn page.

For media inquiries, please visit Hawaiian Airlines’ online newsroom.

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Music to airport ears

Pilot pathways and career development at Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air

Financial results:

Operational updates:

Recognition and awards:

Environmental, social and governance updates:

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Full earnings financial data:

Related:

1. BE MINDFUL AT HOME AND WHEN YOU TRAVEL

2. DITCH PLASTIC FOR GOOD

3. OFFSET YOUR FLIGHT

4. GO PAPERLESS AND REDUCE WASTE

5. JOIN US ON THE JOURNEY TO NET ZERO

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