HONOLULU – Alaska Airlines today announced the appointment of Monica Kobayashi to managing director of airport operations and customer service. In her new Honolulu-based role, Kobayashi will lead airport operations for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines in Hawaiʻi and the North and South Pacific, once the carriers obtain a single operating certificate later this year.  

Kobayashi – who will oversee more than 1,500 airport employees across the Hawaiian Islands in addition to teams in Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Tahiti and American Samoa – is among several Hawaiian Airlines leaders expanding their areas of responsibility to support the combined airline’s growth in Hawaiʻi and globally.

“We are delighted to have Monica lead our combined airport operations throughout Hawaiʻi, including Honolulu – our second largest hub – and at airports in Asia and Oceania as we fly our guests across our expanding network while delivering the best airport experience,” said Celley Buchanan, vice president of airport operations and customer service at Alaska Airlines.

Kobayashi has 20 years of experience with Hawaiian Airlines, most recently serving as managing director of airport operations planning, where she drove operational, financial and commercial performance at 30 airport locations. She previously held leadership roles in financial planning and analysis, general accounting, and corporate reporting. A resident of Mililani on the island of Oʻahu, Kobayashi earned her Bachelor of Science in accounting from Chaminade University in Honolulu.

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About Alaska Air Group 

Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, with McGee Air Services a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. With hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, we deliver remarkable care as we fly our guests to more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. Alaska is a member of the oneworld Alliance with Hawaiian scheduled to join in 2026. With oneworld and our additional global partners, guests can earn and redeem miles for travel to over 1,000 worldwide destinations. Guests can book travel at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com. Learn more about what’s happening at Alaska and Hawaiian. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as “ALK.”