Since July 2021, Hawaiian Airlines pilots have been in negotiations with management concerning our existing union labor contract. 

Hawaiian pilots have been operating under our current Pilots’ Working Agreement since 2017. Since that time, our pilots have worked diligently and professionally to deliver safe, first-class service to the traveling public. We’ve adapted to change as the airline retired our aging Boeing 767 airplanes, trained pilots on our new Airbus A321 fleet, and soon will begin training pilots to fly our new Boeing 787 Dreamliners. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Hawaiian pilots were front-line workers who provided essential service to ensure our passengers got to their destinations safely. We flew new routes, including complex ad-hoc cargo and charter flights, while our scheduled international service was unavailable. We also endured the furlough of 73 of our fellow pilots, an incredibly difficult situation for our brothers and sisters, particularly while nearly every other major carrier was able to mitigate pilot layoffs and avoid furloughs altogether. 

The Hawaiian pilots have seen our ranks grow by over 30 percent as we debuted our Airbus 321 fleet, and we anticipate further hiring as we look forward to the introduction of the Boeing 787 later this year. Meanwhile, experts are forecasting a massive shortfall in qualified airline pilots across the airline industry. With the high cost of pilot training providing a barrier to entry in the profession, coupled with the large number of impending pilot retirements across the country, experts are forecasting a 34,000-50,000 shortfall by 2025 between the number of pilots needed and those available and qualified. It’s imperative that Hawaiian Airlines negotiates  a competitive pilot contract in order to maintain its ability to attract highly qualified professionals, particularly to a place like Hawaii with a substantially higher-than-average cost of living.

We are continuing to engage with the Company in negotiations pursuant to Section Six of the Railway Labor Act, with the intent to reach an agreement before our contract’s amendable date of July 1, 2022. Hawaiian Airlines pilots are committed to the success of our airline and to providing an exceptional experience to our passengers. We look forward to achieving a contract that will attract the best and brightest to our growing workforce for years to come.