“This is an incredibly dark day for Hawaii,” said David Banmiller, Aloha Airlines‘ president and chief executive officer, as the airline completed its last flight on Monday, after 61 years of operation. “We simply ran out of time to find a qualified buyer or secure continued financing for our passenger business,” he said. Banmiller blamed “unfair competition” for driving the airline out of business. Mesa Air Group’s go! airline started up operations in Hawaii two years ago, offering inter-island fares as low as $19 each way. The Aloha shutdown will affect about 1,900 employees, although many of them may continue working in Aloha’s air cargo unit while the U.S. Bankruptcy Court seeks bids from potential buyers. The last flight was flown from Kahului with the company’s most senior pilot and most junior pilot in the cockpit.
The airline’s worst accident occurred in 1988, when a part of the fuselage ripped away in flight. A flight attendant was killed, but the crew was able to safely land the airplane. A video report about the incident is posted online.
