For almost a century, the letters HA and the callsign “Hawaiian” have been synonymous with air travel to and within the Hawaiian Islands. Now, as part of its merger with Alaska Airlines, a major change is coming.
When Hawaiian Airlines flight 866 departed American Samoa’s Pago Pago International Airport (PPG) for Honolulu (HNL) on October 29th, it marked the final flight to use the identifiers HA/HAL.
Subsequent flights carried out by birds painted in the Hawaiian livery will be using Alaska Airlines’ designators AS (IATA), ASA (ICAO), as well as the callsign “ALASKA.”
Hawaiian and Alaska: when two become one
The change comes as part of the broader integration of Hawaiian into Alaska’s operating structure. Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition of Hawaiian in September 2024 and as part of that merger, the two airlines are transitioning toward a single operating certificate (SOC). This transition brings unified systems and common codes, and the consolidation of flight identifiers is likely to spark an emotional reaction among longtime enthusiasts of the airline.
Will you miss the old callsign? Or is this nothing but a natural step forward, and a breath of new life for a legacy that continues under a different name?
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