Surprise Merger: Hawaiian Airlines Bought By Alaska Air, Closing Seattle-Hawaii-Alaskan Circle

 Seattle-Based Alaska Airlines Agrees To Buy Hawaiian Air 

$1.9 Billion Deal; Will Take Over $.9 Billion Hawaiian Air Debt 

Message to the Public from Alaska Airlines, December 3rd, 2023 Today is a historic day for Alaska Airlines. As you are one of our most loyal guests, I want to share the news personally that Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have reached an agreement to combine, expanding service and benefits for our guests, opportunity for our employees, and continued investment in the community. Alaska Airlines’ continued aim is to elevate the travel experience, with premium products and services, our award-winning care, and continued expansion of connectivity and access for you – our guests – with things like new routes and global access through our 29 partner airlines including the oneworld Alliance. This combination is a unique opportunity to advance that journey with a company that shares our commitment to service, excellence, and care. Hawaiian Airlines is a remarkable airline for whom we have deep admiration and respect, with a unique spirit and legacy, and values that are deeply aligned with ours. By joining together as one airline, we can build on our respective 90+ year legacies, do more for travelers and for our employees, and create a stronger platform on which to compete and sustain for the future. Here are a few highlights:

Preserving the Hawaiian Airlines brand: The beloved Hawaiian Airlines brand will remain, reflected on airplanes, at airports and elsewhere. It will exist alongside the Alaska Airlines brand, supported by a single operating platform and industry-leading loyalty program.  More destinations: Guests will benefit from more choice and increased international connectivity with a combined network of 138 destinations including non-stop service to 29 international destinations such as Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Auckland, as well as over 1,200 global destinations through the oneworld Alliance. The combined airline will have a fleet of 365 narrow- and wide-body airplanes.  Commitment to Hawai‘i: We will expand service and convenience for Hawai‘i residents, maintain and grow union-represented jobs in the Hawaiian Islands, continue to invest in our employees’ careers and workforce development for the future, work with local communities to build a vibrant future for Hawai‘i, and invest in environmental sustainability.

Alaska Airlines has been proud to serve Hawai‘i for over sixteen years. At the same time, we know we have more to learn and feel a deep responsibility to serve the people of Hawai‘i for generations to come. The process for approval of Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines will take 12 to 18 months and both companies will continue to operate as they do today until that time. You’ll continue to have access to your generous Mileage Plan benefits as they are today, which will only continue to improve. While nothing changes in the short term, we will communicate as milestones are reached. For more information & cautionary statements:  localcareglobalreach.com We are excited about the bright future ahead and are grateful to be on this journey with you. Thank you for your continued loyalty and I hope to see you on board soon,

Alaska Airlines Logo  

Sunday, December 3rd, 2023 

The Hawaiian travel website, "Beat of Hawaii" has broken the story that Alaska Airlines will be buying Hawaiian Air. When the purchase is complete, the combined airline will be the fifth largest in the United States, with 365 aircraft.

Seattle has long been a hub between Alaska and Hawaii. When Alaska Air decides not to fly directly to Hawaii, it frequently detours to Seattle, and then goes on from there.

The two airlines represent the last two territories in America to join the union, in the 1950s, and both are vestiges of World War II on the Pacific Rim. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are unique in that they use the faces of indigenous people on the tails of their planes as logos. 

According to Wikipedia, Alaska's logo is of an unknown man, who people believe was either a Kotzebue reindeer herder or an Inupiat. The Hawaiian logo shows the face of 1964's Miss Hawaii, Leina'ala Drummond, who was a flight attendant.  

A joint press release said:

“Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALK), and Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Alaska Airlines will acquire Hawaiian Airlines for $18.00 per share in cash, for a transaction value of approximately $1.9 billion, inclusive of $0.9 billion of Hawaiian Airlines net debt. The combined company will unlock more destinations for consumers and expand choice of critical air service options and access throughout the Pacific region, Continental United States and globally. The transaction is expected to enable a stronger platform for growth and competition in the U.S., as well as long-term job opportunities for employees, continued investment in local communities and environmental stewardship.”