HONOLULU -- Aloha Airlines' main lender and the parent company of Young Brothers Ltd. reached a deal late on Thursday that saved the sale of the company's cargo division.

Saltchuk Resources and Aloha Airlines' officials went into court on Thursday with an agreement to take over the cargo division, but the unions fought the proposal.

Late in the day after back-and-forth negotiations, GMAC proposed leaving Aloha's existing union agreements in place, meaning that all of the employees would receive their current level of pay and benefits for now. The deal gives the unions time to respond to the plan to eliminate their contracts and maybe negotiate a deal with the new owners.

Cargo workers said they were happy and relieved to be back on the job.

"We're very excited about it. We finally get to support everyone in Hawaii and a lot of people depend on us," Aloha Cargo worker Kendra Fischer said.

"I was excited," said Keala Kaupu an employee of Aloha Airlines Cargo. "When I woke up this morning, it was, like, 'I got to go to work! Yes!'"

Kaupu and Fisher were among 30 employees called to stand by for their usual night shifts.

"We've all been hoping positive thoughts," Fisher said. "A lot of emotion, because we all took it really hard. We're very excited about it. Finally get to support everyone in Hawaii. A lot of people depend on us. It's a really big responsibility."

Delivery truck drivers also expressed their joy of the operations returning.

Aloha Cargo held 85 percent of the state's air freight business, including a lucrative U.S. Postal Service deal. The division's shutdown left companies scrambling to find alternatives.

Produce, floral suppliers and bakeries used multiple companies, including the Hawaii Superferry, to distribute their products to the neighbor islands.

One company that was severely affected was Loves Bakery. The bakery company's president said he has secured a new deal with Saltchuk to resume air freight business.

A number of Aloha Cargo employees went into work on Tuesday on their own after the company shut down to help customers retrieve their products locked in warehouses.

"It just speaks to the level of commitment that the employees have to the business and to the customers and to the neighbor islands, it's just absolutely incredible," Saltchuk President Tim Engle said. "You can't buy that kind of commitment."

Aloha's main lender, GMAC Commercial Finance, gave Washington state-based Saltchuk Resources the approval to buy the operations. Sources said the purchase price is about $10 million.

GMAC agreed to finance the operation for two weeks before Saltchuk would take ownership on May 14.

Earlier in the day, Judge Lloyd King had questions about the details of an agreement. He asked who would fly the planes.

Last week, the pilots' union had threatened to strike because Aloha was not allowing senior pilots who earn more to fly the cargo planes. The pilots' union said it was not contacted about the possibility of starting up operations right away.

"Although no one gave us any notice, we will work this out," Airline Pilots Association attorney Richard Seltzer said.

The division stopped operating on Monday when Aloha's potential buyers pulled out of negotiations and the airline filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

"We're going to do whatever it takes to get the airplanes in the air, and then we can argue about things later. It's not just the pilots' jobs; there are 300 other cargo people, the state of Hawaii. These are our neighbors; we're going to get the planes in the air," ALPA's Mike Feeney said.

Saltchuk's president said Aloha pilots and others would be paid comparable wages to what they are getting now.

"My understanding is that the air cargo group was kind of a stand-alone entity in the company and that by being able to provide that service, we'd want to continue to kind of have as many of those employees as possible back to work," Engle said.

Engle said his company has 25 union agreements in its various air and sea cargo businesses already and it is willing to work with the unions. However, the unions said no one has spoken to them about a transition back to work and how much cargo employees would be paid

The attorney appointed as the bankruptcy trustee, Dane Field, said on Thursday that he would take the job. He accepted a $250,000 fee and 5 percent of the Aloha Cargo sale.

Aloha's shutdown began at the beginning of April when the airline folded the passenger flight service.