Aloha in talks to sell some sidelines

Advertiser Staff

Aloha Airlines has been approached by "several entities" about possibly buying Aloha's separate cargo and contract-service businesses.

"While it's prudent to explore the possibilities, at this point in time these are very preliminary discussions with no certainty that there will be any deal," Aloha spokeswoman Stephanie Ackerman said yesterday.

The contract-service division offers a range of services to other airlines, such as ground handling and aircraft maintenance. At the end of August, the contract-service division employed about 800 people.

Aloha's cargo operation, which flies three planes and uses a fourth as backup, employed 200 people at the end of August, Ackerman said.

She emphasized that Aloha would not sell the cargo division "unless we were ensured that Hawai'i's intrastate cargo needs are met."