Aloha connects Maui with Kona, Kauai
Aloha Airlines launches in one week some new flights that move away from the carrier's hub-and-spoke system in which all flights lead to Honolulu. It now flies Kahului-Lihue and Kahului-Kona.
It is an important new development in the interisland airline battle, as Aloha, until now going head to head with Hawaiian Airlines and the new Mesa Air Group service go!, now competes head to head with its own former subsidiary Island Air.
Hawaii airline historian and analyst Peter Forman says Aloha sees ticket prices deteriorating on its current routes due to arrival of go!.
"Aloha probably figures there's more money to be made by moving resources to thinner routes that have been the domain of Island Air for the past few years," Forman said. "Thus, Island Air will soon indirectly feel the squeeze from the new entrant's arrival."
From Friday, Aloha will have two flights daily from Kahului to Lihue and two flights daily from Kahului to Kona International Airport on the Big Island.
"Aloha is responding to our customers' wishes, making it easier and faster to travel between the islands on the only Boeing 737 jets in Hawaii," CEO David Banmiller said in June when the service was announced.
Rob Mauracher, CEO of Island Air, said Thursday that the Aloha move still leaves his smaller carrier offering twice as many round trips in the same corridors.
Aloha's jets are faster, but the difference is only 10 to 20 minutes depending on the route, and Mauracher says his smaller planes confer certain advantages.
"The beauty of our aircraft size and type," he said, "is that it allows us to be very flexible in our offerings to the market, without burdening us with the requirement to carry 60 or more passengers to cover our costs."
It is an important new development in the interisland airline battle, as Aloha, until now going head to head with Hawaiian Airlines and the new Mesa Air Group service go!, now competes head to head with its own former subsidiary Island Air.
Hawaii airline historian and analyst Peter Forman says Aloha sees ticket prices deteriorating on its current routes due to arrival of go!.
"Aloha probably figures there's more money to be made by moving resources to thinner routes that have been the domain of Island Air for the past few years," Forman said. "Thus, Island Air will soon indirectly feel the squeeze from the new entrant's arrival."
From Friday, Aloha will have two flights daily from Kahului to Lihue and two flights daily from Kahului to Kona International Airport on the Big Island.
"Aloha is responding to our customers' wishes, making it easier and faster to travel between the islands on the only Boeing 737 jets in Hawaii," CEO David Banmiller said in June when the service was announced.
Rob Mauracher, CEO of Island Air, said Thursday that the Aloha move still leaves his smaller carrier offering twice as many round trips in the same corridors.
Aloha's jets are faster, but the difference is only 10 to 20 minutes depending on the route, and Mauracher says his smaller planes confer certain advantages.
"The beauty of our aircraft size and type," he said, "is that it allows us to be very flexible in our offerings to the market, without burdening us with the requirement to carry 60 or more passengers to cover our costs."
posted by ams at 12:08 PM
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