Hawaiian Air reducing number of managers
By Michele Kayal
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawaiian Airlines has begun eliminating or restructuring 25 middle-management positions in an effort to trim costs.
Advertiser library photo • March 13, 2001
Hawai'i's largest carrier began shuffling middle-management and non-union administrative positions earlier this month, said airline spokesman Keoni Wagner. It was unclear whether any employees would actually lose their jobs.
Hawaiian Airlines is restructuring some management positions as part of a corporate overhaul.
Fifteen of the positions are occupied, Wagner said, and those employees are being encouraged to apply for other open positions at the company.
The moves should be completed early next month, Wagner said. Hawaiian has 3,400 employees.
The U.S. airline industry announced significant losses during the first quarter of this year, blaming the weak U.S. economy, increased fuel prices and labor unrest.
Hawaiian's cuts, however, result more from the company's ongoing cost-cutting measures, Wagner said.
"This is the first time the company has made a comprehensive evaluation of the non-contract group in many, many years," he said. "It was just a matter of taking a close look at the non-contract positions in the company and making sure our structure was in line with our current business needs."
He said no further layoffs are anticipated.
Aloha Airlines eliminated 59 positions from its 2,800-person payroll in January, laying off a total of 15 people. Aloha also cut its flight schedule by about 8 percent at that time.
