Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines have reached a defining moment in their merger journey.
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the combined carriers a single operating certificate (SOC), officially bringing 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 recognizable names in Pacific aviation.
“This was a year-long, multi-phase effort involving multiple departments and thousands of hours of work,” said Ben Minicucci, President and CEO of Alaska Air Group, in an official statement. “We appreciate the FAA and the US Department of Transportation for their guidance and support as we carefully reviewed and harmonized our processes with a shared focus on safety. This is an important step in our journey as a combined organization, and I’m excited about our future together.”
This is an important step in our journey as a combined organization, and I’m excited about our future together.
Ben Minicucci, President and CEO of Alaska Air Group
Earning the SOC didn’t happen overnight. It took months of coordination across flight ops, maintenance, and training teams to bring both airlines in sync under one playbook. The FAA’s sign-off now puts Alaska and Hawaiian under one regulatory roof, simplifying 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 with their distinct brands and liveries, they now share a common operational framework. Pilots and dispatchers across both fleets will use the AS call sign for communication with air traffic control.
The change also brings the retirement of Hawaiian’s historic “HAWAIIAN” callsign, first used nearly a century ago. The final flight using the legacy identifiers HA/HAL (Hawaiian Airlines Flight 866 from Pago Pago International Airport (PPG) in American Samoa to Honolulu International Airport (HNL) on 29 October 2025) closed an era of independent Hawaiian operations before the new designation took effect.
Although travelers will still see Hawaiian’s HA designator on tickets, some flight numbers have been reassigned to prevent duplication within Alaska’s system. It’s a subtle but critical operational step for an airline group that now carries about 40% of traffic between Hawaii and the US mainland.
The SOC is also a prerequisite for further integration milestones. In April 2026, both carriers will migrate to a single passenger service system (PSS), the core technology that powers reservations, check-in, and boarding. Once live, all flights will officially carry the AS code, though Hawaiian flights will remain clearly branded with the airline’s signature Pualani tail and onboard hospitality.
Leadership Transitions and Strategic Expansion
Alongside the SOC announcement, new Honolulu-based leadership roles took effect to strengthen operations across the islands and Pacific region.
- Diana Birkett Rakow, formerly Alaska’s Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability, has been named CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, succeeding Joe Sprague, who is retiring after a 25-year career with Alaska Air Group.
- Jim Landers, Hawaiian’s Senior Vice President for Technical Operations, becomes Head of Hawaii Operations.
- Shelly Parker, previously Horizon Air’s Vice President of Station Operations and Inflight, will serve as Head of Hawaii Guest Operations.
Alaska Airlines officials say these appointments reflect Alaska’s commitment to retaining a strong local presence while building a more cohesive operational structure across the Pacific.
With the FAA certification complete, the combined airline group is already expanding its reach. Just 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 global, fully integrated operation. Together, Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines now serve more than 140 destinations across North America, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific, with Europe set to come online in 2026.
