Alaska Airlines today received a single operating certificate (SOC) from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate alongside Hawaiian Airlines as two separate brands.
This significant milestone – a FAA regulatory requirement achieved just over a year after Alaska and Hawaiian combined – marks the successful integration of training, policies, procedures and manuals across both airlines.
Ben Minicucci, president and CEO of Alaska Air Group said: “Congratulations to everyone at Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines for getting us to a single operating certificate.
“This was a year-long, multi-phase effort involving multiple departments and thousands of hours of work.
“We also appreciate the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation for their guidance and support as we carefully reviewed and harmonized our processes with a shared focus on safety.
“This is an important step in our journey as a combined organization, and I’m excited about our future together.”
An Alaska Air statement said: “While Alaska and Hawaiian airlines are now operating under a single call sign (AS) – which our pilots and dispatchers use behind the scenes to communicate with air traffic control – guests will continue to enjoy our distinct Alaska and Hawaiian brand experiences, brought to life by our remarkable employees, along with the reach of our expanding joint global network, and the industry-leading benefits of our Atmos Rewards loyalty program.
“There is one visible change for our guests: while Hawaiian Airlines flights will show the HA designator, new flight numbers may be assigned to avoid duplication between our brands.
“Where practical, we attempted to maintain similar flight numbers, but in many cases, we had to assign completely new flight numbers. If you are a frequent Hawaiian Airlines flyer who has memorized a regular or favorite flight, please take note.
“A SOC paves the way for other, ongoing integration initiatives, including combining scheduling and passenger service systems to improve the experience of our guests traveling across both brands, and integrating our flight crew, airport and maintenance teams under joint collective bargaining agreements.
“Next spring, guests can look forward to an even more streamlined travel experience when Alaska and Hawaiian move to a single passenger service system, or PSS. A PSS is the main technology powering the systems that our guests – on Alaska and Hawaiian – will interact with when planning their trips, booking tickets and on the day of travel.
“Once we transition to a single PSS in April, all flights will carry the AS code, but travelers will continue to be able to view and book Hawaiian Airlines flights and experience the distinct Hawaiian Airlines brand and the ho’okipa (hospitality) of our people throughout their journey. Hawaiian flights will be clearly branded across our digital channels with an image of our Pualani aircraft tail.”
