The Alaska-Hawaiian merger is two years old. The verdict so far: more jobs, more flights, and a CEO who gives himself a B.
Alaska Air Group closed its $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Holdings on September 18, 2024. Two years in, CEO Ben Minicucci told reporters the combined carrier has hit its financial targets ahead of schedule, added over 1,100 net new jobs, and completed several major integration milestones.
His self-grade? "Solid B." Ahead on money. Still working on people.
What's Actually Been Done
The checklist is legitimately long. A single FAA operating certificate in September 2025. A unified loyalty program in October 2025. A single passenger service system in April 2026 that finally connected both airlines' websites, apps, kiosks, and reservation records. Travelers can now book, check in, and manage trips across both carriers without switching platforms.
On the financial side, Alaska Air Group reported second-quarter revenue of $4.1 billion, with a net loss of $76 million that still beat analyst expectations. The company is targeting $1 billion in merger synergies by 2027, split between $800 million in revenue gains and $200 million in cost savings. Minicucci said they're ahead on several of those targets.
The Jobs Number
Since the deal closed, the company has hired more than 1,497 employees, mostly in Hawaii-based union roles. At the same time, 383 of 418 nonunion Hawaiian Airlines employees who got WARN notices have left. Net result: over 1,100 more jobs than when the merger started.
Hawaiian Airlines had 7,362 employees at the end of 2023. Today there are nearly 6,100 Hawaiian Airlines employees across the islands and about 7,200 systemwide.
What Hawaii Travelers and Businesses Should Know
Hawaiian's Boeing 787 fleet is getting painted in Alaska's global livery for international routes out of Seattle. That opens one-stop connections from Hawaii to Paris, London, Rome, Reykjavik, and Athens. The planes are still staffed by Hawaiian crews for now.
The interisland fleet gets upgraded starting 2028. Larger Boeing 737-800s from Alaska's existing fleet will replace Hawaiian's aging interisland planes. Cargo capacity is set to nearly double by 2027, which matters for any Hawaii business that ships goods between islands or to the mainland.
The Part That Isn't Done Yet
Joint labor agreements. That's the big one still on the table. Until those get signed, Alaska and Hawaiian employees stay on separate contracts, which directly affects how the airline deploys planes and staff.
"We're not done. We are still in integration." -- Diana Birkett Rakow, Hawaiian Airlines CEO
Minicucci expects union negotiations to move over the next six to 24 months. In the meantime, the Hawaiian brand stays on the tail of the plane. Two brands, one airline, one long integration still in progress.