HONOLULU -- Aloha Airlines announced Sunday that it will shut down all interisland and transpacific passenger flights Monday.

The airline said it would operate its schedule with the exception of flights from Hawaii to the West Coast and flights from Orange County to Reno and Sacramento, and Oakland to Las Vegas. Aloha Air officials said they made arrangements for the flight crews stranded at the end of their trips.

United Airlines and other airlines are prepared to assist and accommodate, said the airline in a press release.

"This is an incredibly dark day for Hawaii," said David A. Banmiller, Aloha's president and CEO. "Despite the groundswell of support from the community and our elected officials, we simply ran out of time to find a qualified buyer or secure continued financing for our passenger business. We had no choice but to take this action."

He said passengers who do not wish to be re-accommodated by another airline should contact their travel agent or credit card company to request a refund.

The shutdown of Aloha's passenger operations will also affect about 1,900 employees. The decision to stop passenger flights ends 61-years of service.

"We deeply regret the impact this will have on our dedicated employees who have made Aloha one of the best operating airlines in the country," said Banmiller.

Aloha has an ongoing lawsuit against go! Airlines' parent company Mesa Air Group. Aloha accuses Mesa's executives of misusing confidential information they received when they considered buying Aloha.

"Unfortunately, unfair competition has succeeded in driving us out of business, bringing to an end a 61-year-old company with a proud legacy of serving millions of travelers in the true spirit of Aloha," said Banmiller. "We realize that this comes as a devastating disappointment to our frequent flyers and our loyal business partners who have supported this company for many, many years."

Aloha also announced that its air cargo and aviation services units will continue to operate as usual while the U.S. Bankruptcy Court seeks bids from potential buyers.

A potential deal with United Airlines fell through after United pulled out at the last minute citing high fuel costs.

"We at Hawaiian are related to them not only through this industry, but also in many cases our employees are related to them by blood, and we can only imagine the difficult, difficult day it is for them today," Hawaiian Airlines President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Dunkerly said.

Starting Tuesday, Hawaiian said it is adding more than 6,000 seats to its daily interisland schedule. Hawaiian Air officials said the company will offer free rides for Aloha ticketholders on standby free under certain conditions. Click here for details.

go! Airlines said it is going from 54 flights a day to 94 flights a day on Tuesday to deal with the need for added flight space. The company is offering free flights for Aloha ticketholders for standby seating until April 3.

The airline was founded as charter carrier Trans-Pacific Airlines in 1946. The company later took the name Aloha Airlines.

Last week was the second time the airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Aloha first filed for bankruptcy in 2004.

RESOURCES:
For a complete list of the cancelled flights and other information, check the Aloha Airlines FAQ [PDF].

Hawaiian Airlines Information

For more information on United Airline's accommodation options, contact United at 1-800-UNITED1 or United Airlines online.