HAL hiring

[mkingmei]

Any update on Hawaiian hiring?

 

[mokulele50]

Any update on Hawaiian hiring?

A friend from my former employer met with the chief pilots on Tuesday. He was told no hiring for the rest of the year. Hiring to resume early next year.

 

[Dan Roman]

The word from the company is hiring will be negligible this year, not sure how many more 330's are coming vs the retirement of 767's, in the next couple years. However, they are getting 18 A321 NEO's with an option for 6 more. They are starting no latter than 2017. The plan is for a much more extensive west coast to all the major island schedule. The official word from the company is to expect just over a 1000 pilots by 2021. We currently have somewhere around 600 active pilots right now. Also, quite a few retirements.

 

[BentOver]

Based on the Union letter I read off the HALMEC(ALPA) webpage.... Hiring is scheduled to be 50 per year for the next 5 years (roughly) and with a minimum of 59 retirements over the same period HAL should see a net gain of roughly 40 pilots per year... I suspect more retirements than planned.

Also the plan is to have 700 pilots on property by the time the contract is ammendable in 2015.... So seems like next year we should resume some hiring?......

Headwinds to the plan are..

1) Value of the Yen
2) West Coast competition
3) Merger or acquisition (stock price is up, new investors, and a new board member etc etc) makes acquisition more of a realistic possibility
4) Some sort of disaster, health concern (SARS) or government showdown somewhere(Ukraine/Russia etc) slwong travel..

 

[outerfix]

Quick question. Are SEA and LAX still bases? I know SFO got closed a while ago but I thought the other west coast bases were still open but they are not listed on airlinepilotcentral.com

thanks

 

[Dan Roman]

Nope HNL only

 

[texarkana]

Is it still a 3 day process that requires you to get to HNL 3 separate times?? Just curious

 

[capt1900]

Isn't Southwest buying them?

 

[fly4surf]

Should make 3 trips somewhere easier, no?

 

[waveflyer]

Isn't Southwest buying them?

It really does become a long term question. If you want to be a Hawaiian 330 pilot, is it better to focus on getting hired at HAL or SWA?

 

[FurloughedAgain]

When have pilots ever accurately predicted a merger? It's always something off he wall that catches everyone off guard. If the common wisdom is SW and HAL, you can bet it will be something goofy like SW and Spirit.

 

[PGTB]

Is the 321 NEO sufficient for Hawaii to US mainland flights?

 

[Dan Roman]

Is the 321 NEO sufficient for Hawaii to US mainland flights?

Very much so. I attended the company briefing when they purchased them and they had a very thorough presentation comparing the 321neo's and all the 737 models. The NEO was substantially better. The 737 took performance hits on many routes that the NEO did not.

 

[PGTB]

Did they extend the wings on the NEO or is truly just a new engine on the same airplane now with sharklets.

 

[Dan Roman]

When have pilots ever accurately predicted a merger? It's always something off he wall that catches everyone off guard. If the common wisdom is SW and HAL, you can bet it will be something goofy like SW and Spirit.

Spot on. The common wisdom is Delta. The reality is Hawaiians route structure simply doesn't dovetail in with any mainland airline. It's business plan is flying people to Hawaii on "Hawaiian Air" . Lots of early am west coast departures that do not connect to any mainland flights. No one but a handful of SW pilots has ever thought that was realistic. With DAL or remotely AA, it brings an Asia presence that would work for them. Obviously SWA suddenly thinking that an A330 hub in HNL to Asia would work for them would be laughable at best, and I'm sure "Gary" would probably laugh the loudest.

 

[Dan Roman]

It really does become a long term question. If you want to be a Hawaiian 330 pilot, is it better to focus on getting hired at HAL or SWA?

Nice try Wave! But I'll bite....if your Hail Mary prediction did come true, and SWA lost the plot of what made them successful (LCC 737 flying) and tried to merge with HA, the SWA pilots would be fenced out of the widebody flying for a long time. The Judge has to consider what each airline brings to the table as far as career expectations. New hires at HA can go to the widebodies, SWA has zero career expectations there. You would effectively and legally be fenced out for a long time. As you guys trickled over, if you brought the attitude that SWA is famous for (you should be happy to merge with us!!!) you would find Hawaii a very unfriendly place.

 

[Dan Roman]

Btw, the new member of the Board of Directors is Duane Woerth. (That will spin some people up!)

 

[Dan Roman]

Did they extend the wings on the NEO or is truly just a new engine on the same airplane now with sharklets.

I forget what they said, I THINK they mentioned new wings.

 

[HAL]

I forget what they said, I THINK they mentioned new wings.

Dan, the 321NEO has the same sized wings & fuselage as the current version, but with 'sharklet' type winglets. There is a little aerodynamic cleanup, but most of the improved fuel economy comes from the new engines,

HAL

 

[Dan Roman]

Nice try Wave! But I'll bite....if your Hail Mary prediction did come true, and SWA lost the plot of what made them successful (LCC 737 flying) and tried to merge with HA, the SWA pilots would be fenced out of the widebody flying for a long time. The Judge has to consider what each airline brings to the table as far as career expectations. New hires at HA can go to the widebodies, SWA has zero career expectations there. You would effectively and legally be fenced out for a long time. As you guys trickled over, if you brought the attitude that SWA is famous for (you should be happy to merge with us!!!) you would find Hawaii a very unfriendly place.

Another stumbling block for SWA would be the fact that HAL is light years ahead of them in the IT department. SWA had tech issues merging with AirTran, they would really be hurting trying to fit into our relatively high tech airline. We've got Indian techies with temporary company badges all over Koapaka! (that's our company headquarters)