Aloha Airlines halting passenger operations
Aloha Airlines will halt all passenger service to Sacramento and all flights from Hawaii to the western United States as of Sunday, and will cease all passenger operations Monday, the carrier said.
In a news release Sunday, airline president and chief executive officer David Banmiller said the company did everything it could to find a buyer or financing, but ran out of time. "This is an incredibly dark day for Hawaii," he said.
The move will affect about 1,900 employees, most of them in Hawaii. Honolulu-based Aloha will continue cargo operations and aviation services while the U.S. Bankruptcy Court seeks buyers.
United Airlines, which has a code-share arrangement with Aloha, will work to accommodate passengers with tickets on Aloha who will be left in the lurch by the shutdown.
In Sunday's news release, Aloha said Monday would be its last day for any passenger service and that it would immediately stop selling tickets for service after that day. Monday's flight schedule will not include flights from Hawaii to the West Coast; flights from Orange County to Reno and Sacramento; and from Oakland to Las Vegas.
At the time it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection March 20, Aloha blamed what it termed unfair competition from go! airlines, a subsidiary of Arizona-based Mesa Air Group Inc. Banmiller stood by that on Sunday faxless online payday advances.
"Aloha Airlines was founded in 1946 to give Hawaii's people a choice in inter-island air transportation," he said. "Unfortunately, unfair competition has succeeded in driving us out of business, bringing to an end a 61-year-old company with a proud legacy of serving millions of travelers in the true spirit of Aloha."
"We realize that this comes as a devastating disappointment to our frequent flyers and our loyal business partners who have supported this company for many, many years."
Banmiller thanked employees, but said the airline had to face reality. "Despite the groundswell of support from the community and our elected officials, we simply ran out of time to find a qualified buyer or secure continued financing for our passenger business. We had no choice but to take this action."
Passengers stranded by the move were advised to contact United at united.com or 1-800-UNITED1. Those who prefer a refund were instructed to contact their travel agent or credit card company. Those who paid by cash or check were advised to file a claim through the bankruptcy court.
Filed under: money by Finance Boss