Las Vegas flights unaffected by Hawaii airlines merger plan

Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001 | 9:54 a.m.

The proposed merger of Hawaiian and Aloha airlines won't have an immediate effect on existing flights between Las Vegas and the Hawaiian islands, spokesmen for the companies say.

Both companies have one-stop round-trip flights between McCarran International Airport and Honolulu.

Aloha Airlines offers three flights a day to and from Honolulu, two stopping in Oakland, Calif., and the other in Orange County, Calif. Hawaiian Airlines has a daily flight and one a week that stop at Los Angeles International Airport en route to Honolulu, said Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Keoni Wagner.

Aloha spokesman Stu Glauberman said the merged company would not consider any route changes to the mainland until the transaction is completed after the first half of 2002.

The new company would be known as Aloha Holdings Inc., corporate stock would continue to be be traded as Hawaiian Airlines with an HA ticker symbol, but it hasn't been determined what the new airline would be called.

Glauberman said the two dominant Hawaiian air carriers have seen some recovery in the North American tourism market since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Travel has been down to Hawaii by 15 percent to 20 percent since mid-September, resulting in the merger plan, controversial because of antitrust concerns.

Travel from the Asian market to Hawaii has been off by about 50 percent since the attacks, hurting both Aloha and Hawaiian, which offer the two dominant interisland air service.