Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines have reached a decisive moment in their merger process.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the combined airlines a single operating certificate (SOC), officially placing their operations under one regulatory framework while maintaining both brands.
The milestone comes just over a year after Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines and marks the formal unification of two of the most recognized names in Pacific aviation.
“This was a multi-phase, year-long effort involving multiple departments and thousands of hours of work,” Ben Minicucci, president and CEO of Alaska Air Group, said in an official statement. “We thank the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation for their guidance and support as we carefully review and harmonize our processes with a shared focus on safety. This is an important step in our journey as a combined organization, and I am excited about our future together.”
This is an important step in our journey as a combined organization and I am excited about our future together.
Ben Minicucci, President and CEO of Alaska Air Group
Getting the SOC didn’t happen overnight. It took months of coordination between the flight operations, maintenance and training teams to synchronize both airlines under the same manual. The FAA’s approval now places Alaska and Hawaii under one regulatory roof, streamlining oversight and opening the door to new efficiencies across their combined network.
A unified operation behind the scenes
While Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines will continue to operate under their distinct brands and designs, they now share a common operating framework. Pilots and dispatchers from both fleets will use the AS call sign to communicate with air traffic control.
The change also marks the retirement of the historic Hawaiian callsign “HAWAIIAN,” first used almost a century ago. The final flight using the legacy HA/HAL identifiers (Hawaiian Airlines Flight 866 from Pago Pago International Airport (PPG) in American Samoa to Honolulu International Airport (HNL) on October 29, 2025) closed an era of independent Hawaiian operations before the new designation took effect.
Although travelers will continue to see Hawaiian’s HA designator on tickets, some flight numbers have been reassigned to avoid duplication within Alaska’s system. It’s a subtle but critical operational step for a group of airlines that now carries about 40% of traffic between Hawaii and the continental United States.
The SOC is also a prerequisite for future integration milestones. In April 2026, both airlines will migrate to a single passenger service system (PSS), the core technology that powers reservations, check-in and boarding. Once active, all flights will officially carry the AS code, although Hawaiian flights will continue to be clearly marked with the airline’s distinctive Pualani tail and inflight hospitality.
Leadership Transitions and Strategic Expansion
Along with the SOC announcement, new leadership roles based in Honolulu went into effect to strengthen operations in the islands and the Pacific region.
- Diana Birkett Rakow, former executive vice president of Alaska Public Affairs and Sustainability, has been named CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, succeeding Joe Sprague, who is retiring after a 25-year career at Alaska Air Group.
- Jim Landers, Hawaiian’s senior vice president of technical operations, becomes head of Hawaii operations.
- Shelly Parker, previously vice president of inflight and station operations at Horizon Air, will serve as head of Hawaii guest operations.
Alaska Airlines officials say These appointments reflect Alaska’s commitment to maintaining a strong local presence while building a more cohesive operational structure across the Pacific.
With FAA certification complete, the combined airline group is already expanding its reach. This week, Alaska announced that thirteen new nonstop routes will be added in 2026, including new service between San Diego (SAN) and Tulsa (TUL), Portland (PDX) and Baltimore (BWI), and HNL and Burbank (BUR), the latter marking the first link between those airports in more than 20 years.
By next summer, Alaska will operate daily service to all four Hawaiian Islands from major West Coast gateways.
As Alaska prepares to join Hawaiian in the Oneworld alliance in spring 2026, the SOC marks a critical step toward a fully integrated, global operation. Together, Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines now serve more than 140 destinations in North America, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific, with Europe expected to come online in 2026.
