Hawaiian Airlines Plans Oahu Downsizing By Laying Off Over 530 Non-Union Employees

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Dark skies are ahead for 537 non-union employees at Hawaiian Airlines as the airline announced another round of job cuts. The cuts will affect employees of three different workgroups. Hawaiian says the layoffs are expected to happen in December and January.

According to Island News, Hawaiian filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notice with the state on October 2. The WARN Act requires employers to provide at least 60 days' notice of possible mass layoffs. Its purpose is to allow employees to prepare for their job loss and begin searching for a new job or seek retraining.

Cuts To Come From 13 Various Job Roles

Most cuts will come at Hawaiian's corporate headquarters in Honolulu, with 11 positions eliminated. Another position will be cut in Hawaiian's cargo division. A position will also be cut at Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). Hawaiian has not announced specifically which positions are to be cut or the number of employees from each workgroup to be affected. SimpleFlying has reached out to Hawaiian Airlines for this information and will update this story if a response is received.

Hawaiian's controlling company, the Alaska Air Group has said the cuts will be permanent, and no facilities are expected to close. Cuts such as these often occur following a merger, as the combined companies look to trim redundant roles. Hawaiian has said the affected employees will be given a retention bonus, a severance package, and assistance from job-searching services.

Previous Rounds Of Post-Merger Layoffs

Hawaiian Airlines was struggling financially when the merger with Alaska Airlines was announced in 2024. 73 Hawaiian Airlines employees were laid off in October, 2004, including 57 in Hawaii and 16 on the Mainland. January 2025 brought a second round of layoffs, during which 61 Hawaii-based employees were cut. As part of the regulatory approval of its merger, Alaska Air Group pledged to keep all of its unionized employees on staff.

Last July, Alaska announced that 252 non-union employees would be cut from the Hawaiian workforce last fall, despite continuing to hire unionized employees, including pilots and flight attendants, to support fleet growth. A continued downturn in international travel and a sharp increase in jet fuel prices this year have added cost pressures.

Another round of layoffs was announced with a WARN letter in March this year, with 48 employees dismissed. 41 came at Hawaiian's headquarters, four at HNL Airport, and three from cargo. Prior to the merger with Alaska, Hawaiian had over 1,300 non-union employees. These combined cuts have trimmed their managerial and administrative workforce by more than half.

Downsizing During A Growth Period

Despite this new round of cuts to the Hawaiian Airlines workforce, the two airlines continue to restructure their route network and make upgrades to their fleet and passenger experience. Last month, Hawaiian announced its Airbus A330 longhaul fleet will be updated with 22 new Leihōkū Business Class suites, and the addition of premium economy seating for the first time. Hawaiian will also be adding a new lounge at HNL for its premium passengers.

Alaska Airlines' Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet will see similar changes. Both the Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 787-10 will receive 34 Aurora Suites along with 28 Premium Reserve seats. The forthcoming Boeing 737-10 will have 12, with at least 25 of the MAX aircraft gaining the 12 Aurora Suites as well as 12 Premium Reserve seats.

The new suites on both airlines are the popular Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seat. Passengers can begin booking these new seats next summer, with the upgraded interiors expected to come online in 2028.