Pilots Hope to Give Their Airline More Flexibility to Grow and Prosper

Leaders of the Hawaiian Airline pilots' unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, International, have endorsed a tentative agreement (TA) reached by the pilots' negotiating committee with Hawaiian management, and agreed to put the TA out for a vote by the general pilot membership. The TA was the result of more than three weeks of negotiations on productivity enhancements sought by Hawaiian management to better position the company for future growth and financial stability during the aviation industry's current downturn.

"The pilots of Hawaiian Airlines are committed to our airline and its passengers," said Captain Ron Hoopai, chairman of ALPA's Hawaiian unit. "It is a reality that all airlines, including Hawaiian, are facing financial pressures as a result of 9/11 and the looming threat of a war. Our negotiating committee and ALPA's economic and financial analysis team worked closely with Hawaiian management to assess the carrier's financial state and develop viable changes to the pilots' contract that would meet the airline's needs for flexibility. We are confident that under the circumstances, this is the best possible resolution for both sides."

The pilots' union has scheduled meetings with the membership to thoroughly outline for pilots all provision of the TA and answer any questions. The meetings, or road shows, will be conducted on a very short timeline throughout the airline system beginning today, February 26 and ending Sunday, March 2. Voting will commence March 2 and end March 6, in order to meet the Hawaiian board of director's deadline of March 7.

Headquartered in Honolulu, HI, Hawaiian Airlines is the nation's 12th largest airline with 135 daily flights flown by 420 pilots, operating a fleet of DC-10, B-717 and B-767 aircraft. Founded in 1931, ALPA represents 66,000 pilots at 42 airlines in the U.S. and Canada.

FMI: www.alpa.org, www.hawaiianair.com