Posted at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, October 5, 2006
Judge rejects Hawaiian Airlines' request to bar go!
Advertiser Staff
Federal Bankruptcy Judge Robert Faris today rejected a request by Hawaiian Airlines to bar low-cost carrier go! from operating in Hawai'i for a year.Hawaiian sued go!'s Phoenix-based parent Mesa Air Group, alleging that Mesa used confidential information it obtained during Hawaiian's bankruptcy proceedings to begin a new interisland carrier. Mesa's go!, which began flying June 9, has offered discounted interisland fares as low as $19 each way.
In his 27-page ruling, Faris noted that Mesa may have breached its confidentiality agreement with Hawaiian by failing to destroy or return records. But Faris declined to grant Hawaiian a preliminary injunction, saying the local carrier failed to identify any irreparable harm as a result of such a breach. The suit will likely proceed its next stage where both sides will argue over monetary damages.
