This Is Not a Happy Day in Hawaii

In fact, it’s heartbreaking. After more than 60 years of providing air service among these islands and more recently to the U.S. mainland, Aloha Airlines will shut down.

It’s a long, sad story, but the short version is that a corporate raider, Mesa Air from Phoenix, Arizona, deliberately and unfairly drove Aloha out of business. They did it by coming into this market as go! Airlines and cutting fares to as little as $9.00 one-way interisland. For more of the gory details, take a look at my posts of March 17 (A Bizarre Development in Hawaii’s Airline War) and March 21 (Unfortunate News).

Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines, which began flying interisland way back in 1927, were both founded by local families. Sure, they had their occasional squabbles, but both companies were very much a part of our island ohana (family).

Now Aloha will cease operations and 1900 people will be out of work. It’s a damn shame, too, because the ruthless, greedy people running Mesa Air don’t give a rat’s ass about Hawaii or the people who live here. It’s all about the money.

Personally, I will never, ever fly go! Airlines. And if any of you have occasion to visit Hawaii, I hope you will make a point of flying Hawaiian Airlines to and from the West Coast and among these magnificent islands.

Mahalo! Thank you!