HONOLULU -- Hawaiian Airlines has told its pilots that the airline would like to close its "pilot bases" in San Francisco and Los Angeles, KITV 4 News Investigative Reporter
Keoki Kerr has uncovered.
Hawaiian notified its pilots about the plan to close two of its three West Coast pilots' bases about one week before the airline filed for bankruptcy. The reason? It wants to save money.
About 50 Hawaiian Airlines pilots are based at Los Angeles and San Francisco airports, meaning they report to work there and fly out of those airports. Most of the pilots live in those cities.
On March 12, sources said Hawaiian told its pilots it wants to close what are called its Los Angeles and San Francisco domiciles.
Sources said the airline estimates it would save $2 million a year if those pilots flew out of Honolulu International Airport instead, meaning they'd either have to move to Hawaii or commute here to keep their jobs.
The savings would come from hotel expenses because it costs twice as much for the airline to put up California-based pilots in Hawaii hotels versus West Coast hotels on layovers.
Hawaiian can negotiate group rates for $80 a night at Hawaii hotels, but the costs at L.A. area hotels are about $40 a night.
Hawaiian said it's expensive to keep reserve pilots on duty in L.A. and San Francisco for just one or two daily flights, paying them to be ready in case a pilot calls in sick or doesn't show up for work. In Honolulu, the reserve pilots can cover many more flights.
Asked if Hawaiian was moving forward with the plan, a spokesman said "possibly." Keoni Wagner said the airline does not discuss its conversations with employees and unions in public.
"For months Hawaiian has been working on ways to restructure its costs and improve operating efficiency," Wagner said.
Wagner said if Hawaiian made such a change, it would not have any effect on its customers.
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