Leaders at Alaska Air Group were bullish Thursday on their merger with Hawaiian Airlines in their first quarterly report filed since the move, indicating Hawaiian could almost break even by the fourth quarter.
Alaska announced Sept. 18 that it had completed its $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Holdings, parent company of Hawaiian Airlines. Alaska’s third-quarter results, which include the first 13 days of Hawaiian Airlines’ performance on its books, showed total operating revenue of $3.07 billion in July, August and September and $236 million in profit, or $1.84 per share.
That compared with an operating revenue of $2.8 billion during the third quarter of 2023 and net income of $139 million, or $1.08 per share.
Alaska reported adjusted third-quarter net income of $289 million, or $2.25 in earnings per share, compared with adjusted net income of $237 million, or $1.83 per share, for the third quarter of 2023. Those results significantly exceeded Alaska’s original guidance for the quarter of $1.40 to $1.60 per share and came in at the high end of its revised guidance, which was published Sept. 12.
Alaska noted it led the industry with a 13% pretax margin and that it is “on track to finish the year strong” and expects “to be among the top three pre-tax margin producers in the industry for the full year.”
“There has been no better time to be part of Alaska Air Group,” Alaska Air Group President and CEO Ben Minicucci said in a news release. “By bringing together Alaska and Hawaiian’s remarkable service, expansive networks, distinct cultures, and shared values, we are creating a resilient airline that can meet the challenge of competing in a rapidly shifting industry. We have the resources and flexibility to navigate challenges, embrace new opportunities, and write the next chapter for our company.
“Our industry leading margins and strong operational performance are proof points that we are making the right investments to differentiate ourselves from our domestic-focused peers,” he said. “Today’s results reinforce we are on the right path for the future.”
Aviation historian Peter Forman said Alaska’s high pretax margins indicate it’s “really a well-run company right now. If you can get those kinds of profit margins, you are really doing something fantastic.”
“I remember years ago that the low-single-digit profit margins were considered reasonably good in the airline industry, so 13% is great,” he said. “Hawaiian has teamed up with a very strong company that is doing a good job, so it looks like they’ve really got a great parent company here.”
Forman also noted that back in the fourth quarter of 2023, Hawaiian had a tough quarter that sank its stock price and attracted Alaska as a buyer. But since that time, he said, “Hawaiian has achieved a big improvement and is even looking at overall growth next year.”
Alaska said Hawaiian’s financial performance for the period Sept. 18-30 represented approximately 9 cents’ earnings per share to the combined results. But Alaska’s third-quarter tax rate of about 28% represented an approximately 7-cent headwind due to temporary merger-related impacts.
Alaska said that as of October, “Hawaiian’s profitability continues to recover as temporary challenges including impacts from the Maui wildfires and many one-time cost headwinds like the A321neo engine grounding and A330F and 787 startup costs have largely resolved,” totaling some $130 million in profit-and-loss drag.
Alaska said it expects continued improvement across Hawaiian’s network with North America passenger revenue per available seat mile up midsingle digits and international passenger revenue per available seat mile flat year over year. The airline added that neighbor island results also are showing material year-over-year improvement.
Forman said, “I just see a lot of positives: both Hawaiian’s performance and Alaska doing really well as a parent company,” which bodes well for consumers.
“Because Hawaiian is improving so well, there’s not going to be any need to change things too much, which is good, because I really think they have the best in-flight experience of any airline in the United States, particularly with the addition of the high-speed Starlink internet,” he said.
Keith Vieira, principal of KV & Associates, Hospitality Consulting, said he expects the merger will prove positive for Hawaii as a destination, too.
“When you have a concentrated effort on trying to improve something, stepping into some of the benefits that Hawaiian has as a brand, I think we’re going to see the benefits,” Vieira said. “(The combined airline) is going to be more aggressive; they are going to be leaner so perhaps able to provide more promotions and offers in the marketplace.”
He said he expects Alaska will want to establish its presence overseeing the two airlines, “so I think that there will be a lot of positive messaging that they are going to put forth in the market, and I think Hawaii will see the benefit. “
