The September 11th attack — Editorial
Island airlines need help from Congress

In the rush to extend aid to U.S. airlines, struggling in the wake of the terrorist attacks, special attention must be paid to vital regional carriers such as Hawai'i's two airlines.

This emphatically includes temporary relief from antitrust restrictions to allow Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines to coordinate their schedules.

Make no mistake: The airline industry is a vital part of America's infrastructure, coast to coast. But in Hawai'i, where Hawaiian and Aloha Airlines carry 99 percent of passenger traffic, they are no less than our lifeblood.

The aid sought by airlines should come in two stages: that which is needed immediately to keep them in the air, and that which must be studied carefully to provide long-term reforms, not just to the airlines, but to all who depend upon them.

The short-term aid should be quick and dirty. But over the long haul, the transaction must be a two-way street. The carriers should be willing to give back to their passengers in ways that make air travel safer and more user-friendly.

Passengers, in turn, must realize that all this comes at a cost. They will have to develop the flexibility to do without multiple flights flown by multiple airlines to the same destination every day.

It is important that American taxpayers protect the integrity of their transportation network from terrorism — but not from losses caused by developments prior to Sept. 11 or from the ensuing economic slowdown. As we said last week, it is not the mandate of Congress to immunize businesses from normal market forces. This is one reason long-term fixes will require thorough study.

That said, however, it is clear that through forces beyond their control, airlines today are in dire financial condition. They must have immediate relief.

One measure that makes sense is legislation that would temporarily relax federal antitrust restrictions — if not for all airlines, then certainly for vital regional carriers such as those in Hawai'i and Alaska. Collaborating on scheduling could help maintain a consistent number of flights for residents and visitors without both being forced to fly nearly empty planes at the same times.

Aloha and Hawaiian have sought state support and tax breaks in the past, and not every one of these proposals proved, on close inspection, to be in the public interest.

But as Gov. Ben Cayetano said, this step allowing the two airlines to minimize the numbers of empty seats is essential to ensure their survival.