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Alaska Air Group names new leaders for combined Hawaii airline operations

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Alaska Air Group names new leaders for combined Hawaii airline operations
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Daniel Chun Regional Vice President, Hawai‘i | Alaska Airlines

Alaska Air Group has announced the leadership team that will oversee the combined operations of Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines in Honolulu, as the two carriers move toward securing a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration this fall.

Honolulu is set to become Alaska Air Group’s second-largest hub after Seattle. The company employs more than 6,500 people in Hawai‘i who support over 180 daily flights, serving both residents and visitors across domestic and international routes. The new leadership team will manage these operations and lead ongoing integration efforts, including launching a joint loyalty program this fall and moving to a single passenger service system next spring.

Jim Landers, currently senior vice president of technical operations at Hawaiian Airlines, will take on the role of head of Hawai‘i operations. Reporting to Hawaiian Airlines CEO Joe Sprague, Landers will be responsible for safety and operational performance throughout the islands. Landers joined Hawaiian in 2013 after serving in the U.S. Navy and now oversees system operations control functions, flight operations, maintenance and engineering, as well as supply chain management.

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Additional members of the Honolulu leadership team include Alisa Onishi as managing director of marketing for Hawaiʻi; Daniel Chun as managing director for Hawaiʻi public affairs and sales; Jonathan Goo as safety director; and Melodi Pieper as human resources regional director. A head of Hawai‘i guest operations will also be named later this year once regulatory approvals are finalized.

Daniel Chun brings 14 years of experience with Alaska Airlines in Hawai‘i to his new position overseeing community relations, government affairs, and sales teams for the combined company. Jonathan Goo provides safety oversight drawing on his two decades with Hawaiian Airlines. Melodi Pieper supports employees across benefits, career development, engagement, culture, and team development.

Other recent appointments reporting to this team include Beau Tatsumura as managing director for Hawai‘i international and heavy maintenance—overseeing maintenance in Hawai‘i, Asia, South Pacific regions—and Monica Kobayashi as managing director of airport operations and customer service supporting staff across multiple locations in the Pacific region.

“Hawaiʻi will always be Hawaiian Airlines’ home, and I’m so proud to serve alongside our Honolulu leadership team and our 6,500-plus team members in the islands to build on Hawaiian’s 95-year legacy of providing safe, reliable and enjoyable service to our communities. We all look forward to continuing to deliver greater value to our kama‘āina and visitors through our expanding, joint network with Alaska Airlines, a new combined loyalty program arriving in October, and much more in the months and years ahead,” said Joe SpragueHawaiian Airlines CEO.

Alaska Air Group operates subsidiaries including Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines (which is scheduled to join oneworld Alliance by 2026), Horizon Air, along with McGee Air Services under Alaska Airlines. The group maintains hubs not only in Seattle but also Honolulu among other cities such as Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. Together they provide flights across North America as well as Latin America, Asia and the Pacific region.

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