Why it matters
Affects 2 airline programs (Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines).
What happened
As part of the ongoing integration following Alaska Airlines' takeover of Hawaiian Airlines, the 'HA' IATA designator code has been retired and replaced with 'AS' effective April 22, 2026. This follows a previous step in October 2025 where Hawaiian flight numbers were renumbered to the 800-1299 range while still using the 'HA' code. While the flight numbers now appear as Alaska flights (e.g., AS1234), Hawaiian maintains its distinct brand identity, including crew announcements and branding on aircraft. This milestone signifies that the operational integration is approximately three-quarters complete, with the remaining major task being the consolidation of collective bargaining agreements for work groups, targeted for completion by 2027
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