U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye commended officials at Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines for putting their personal agendas aside to ensure affordable and reliable interisland service for island residents. Inouye commends merger;
Abercrombie stays cautiousCommuter airline guns for more market
By Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comStill, the pending merger between Hawaiian and Aloha means a bittersweet day for the state, Inouye said.
"I would like to believe that we are not losing two carriers, but rather gaining a stronger flagship air carrier to better serve the people of Hawaii into the future," Inouye (D, Hawaii) said yesterday in a brief statement.
While officials of the new Aloha Holdings Inc. said they first discussed and sought approval from Inouye for the merger, Hawaii Rep. Neil Abercrombie said he is reserving judgment until he sees how the move affects jobs.
So far, he said, the announced details don't tell him much about how pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, customer service agents and others at the two companies might be affected.
Abercrombie also wants to know how the merger will affect kamaaina travel and the state's shipping industry, because no other state is more dependent on air travel than Hawaii, he said.
The congressman yesterday spoke with U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta about his concerns. Mineta told him the Transportation Department also will review the merger.
"My number one concern is jobs, jobs, jobs," Abercrombie said.