Hawaiian Airlines furloughs a third of its workforce

Hawaiian Airlines (HA, Honolulu) is to put more than 2,000 of its workers on furlough from October 1, 2020 to save costs and preserve liquidity in response to the adverse affects on its business of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to employees on August 31, 2020, president and Chief Executive Officer, Peter Ingram, confirmed 2,041 of the airline’s 6,162 employees had been issued with furlough notices, affecting 816 flight attendants and 173 pilots; as well as 1,034 International Association of Machinist and Aerospace (IAM) workers and 18 Transport Workers Union (TWU) staff. Ingram confirmed furloughs had been issued to contract and non-contract staff; and that numbers could change as negotiations were on-going around voluntary early retirements and extended leaves. He warned that further delays to a pre-travel testing programme and the reopening of travel could result in additional furloughs in the months ahead. “These reductions to our teams are painful and stressful for all of us, but necessary to ensure our business survives and is poised to respond to opportunities when we are able to resume a more normal flight schedule,” he said. Ingram added the airline’s leadership continued to work with the state, the public health system and the visitor industry to safely reopen travel.