Major Milestone: Alaska & Hawaiian Achieve Single Operating Certificate

It’s a big day for Alaska Air Group, as Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have just received a single operating certificate, clearing a major hurdle in the eyes of the government…

Alaska & Hawaiian are now one airline, according to the FAA

Alaska and Hawaiian have now officially received a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). So while Alaska and Hawaiian are continuing to operate as separate brands, as far as the FAA is concerned, the two carriers are now one.

This milestone was achieved just over a year after Alaska’s formal takeover of Hawaiian, and it marks the successful integration of training, policies, procedures, and manuals, across both airlines.

Here’s how Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci describes this:

“Congratulations to everyone at Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines for getting us to a single operating certificate. This was a year-long, multi-phase effort involving multiple departments and thousands of hours of work. We also appreciate the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation for their guidance and support as we carefully reviewed and harmonized our processes with a shared focus on safety. This is an important step in our journey as a combined organization, and I’m excited about our future together.”

What are the implications of a single operating certificate?

Alaska and Hawaiian moving onto a single operating certificate is primarily an internal and government matter for the time being, though over time, it’ll have more implications.

The most immediate change is that as of the start of the IATA winter 2025-2026 season, Hawaiian flight numbers have changed, so that Alaska and Hawaiian don’t have duplicate flight numbers. This makes it possible for the two airlines to increasingly integrate their systems.

That’s all that is changing for now. From a passenger standpoint, a bigger development is that in the spring of 2026, Alaska and Hawaiian will move onto a single passenger service system. At that point, we’ll see the “HA” code retired, and all flights take on the “AS” code.

Even in the long term, Alaska and Hawaiian will maintain separate branding. The idea is that all flights touching Hawaii will have Hawaiian branding, while all other flights will have Alaska branding. Fortunately Hawaiian will be joining the oneworld alliance as of early 2026, so at that point, there should be full metal neutrality from the perspective of frequent flyers.

Also as of the coming spring, we’ll see the major labor groups at the airlines receive new joint collective bargaining agreements. This includes flight crews, as well as airport and maintenance teams. That means all employees at Alaska Air Group will be under the same contract, regardless of which “brand” they primarily work with.

So there’s obviously a lot going on here, but there’s no denying that Alaska Air Group is making great process with the integration following the merger.

Bottom line

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are now officially on a single operating certificate, which is a major milestone in the merger of the two companies. While Alaska and Hawaiian branding will stick around in the long run, the two airlines are now considered one, as far as the government is concerned.

The next steps are for Alaska Air Group to convince employees and customers that the brand is one, as that’s still quite an undertaking. 😉

What do you make of Alaska & Hawaiian now being on a single operating certificate?