With Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines on the verge of approval by US aviation regulators, Hawaiian will be guided through the combination process by an “interim leadership team”.
Peter Ingram, Hawaiian’s longtime chief executive, will be replaced by Joe Sprague, who currently serves as Alaska’s regional president of Hawaii-Pacific.
“In this role, Sprague will be responsible for leading all aspects of Hawaiian Airlines’ operations until the [Federal Aviation Administration] grants Alaska a single operating certificate,” Hawaiian says.
Following the deal’s approval by the US Department of Transportation, Alaska and Hawaiian expect the deal to be finalised as soon as 18 September. Ingram will step down upon the deal’s closure.
”Until that time, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will operate as one organisation with two separate airline operations, under two individual operating certificates,” the carrier adds. ”The interim Honolulu leadership team will lead the Hawaiian Airlines operation during this time.”
Several Hawaiian executives will be part of the interim leadership group, including Shannon Okinaka, executive vice-president of administration; Robin Kobayashi, senior vice-president of human resources; and Jim Landers, senior vice-president of tech ops.
Hawaiian’s operational leaders will continue reporting to Landers throughout the transition period.
Daniel Chun, currently regional vice-president of Hawaii for Alaska, will oversee community and cultural relations, government affairs and Hawaii sales for the transition team.
”I am deeply honoured to work alongside these strong leaders from Hawaiian Airlines to lead the airline’s people, operations and brand through this transition while sustaining our commitments to safety and service,” Sprague says.
Ingram’s career at Hawaiian began in November 2005, when he arrived in Honolulu from American Eagle, taking on the role of chief financial officer a few months after Hawaiian’s second insolvency.
He became chief commercial officer in 2011, overseeing major fleet decisions and network expansions. He was named president and chief executive in February 2018.
Ingram told FlightGlobal in February that Alaska was likely interested in a potential network expansion using Hawaiian’s long-haul fleet, including its growing fleet of Boeing 787s.
“Think about what you can do with a widebody network out of some of their big bases in the Western US”, he said of Alaska.
