Could we see Alaska Airlines launch long-haul international flights, ushering in new services to Europe and beyond, after it closed a multi-billion-dollar deal to acquire Hawaiian Airlines last month?
That’s one possibility that a new International Development Director for the combined airline group might consider as Alaska Airlines looks to drive its “global growth” after the Department of Transportation (DOT) greenlighted the merger.
Alaska Airlines has just advertised the role for its first-ever “subject matter expert and thought leader” for international development, with a focus on developing network growth within the next 12 to 24 months.
For the time being, international growth is likely to be driven through the Hawaiian Airlines side of the group, given the fact that the carrier already operates long-haul widebody aircraft to destinations such as Tokyo, Seoul and even Sydney, Australia.
In the future, however, could we see Hawaiian Airlines branch out to previously unserved destinations, including the likes of London, Paris and Rome?
Alaska Airlines wants to turn Hawaiian’s Honolulu base into a hub for a combined airline group, but it could also use its Seattle stronghold to run one-stop connections to Hawaii, offering a far more seamless travel experience for people trying to get to the state from Europe.
According to Alaska’s job ad, the International Development Director will lead an international task force and become the subject matter expert in the group’s global market positioning.
The ad keeps the job functions for the International Development Director deliberately broad, but it seems pretty clear that Alaska Airlines is seriously eyeing how it can develop its international presence.
Alaska Airlines finalized its $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines on September 28, less than 24 hours after the DOT gave its blessing for the deal to go ahead.
The two airlines will continue operating as separate brands under a combined umbrella company with a single operating license and combined frequent flyer program.
Hawaiian Airlines will join Alaska Airlines as a member of the Oneworld alliance so it will be interesting to see what an expanded route network might look like for the Alaska Airlines Group, given that it might end up going head-to-head with fellow alliance partners such as American Airlines and British Airways.
What is, however, clear is that demand for premium, long-haul international travel is on a steady rise, while carriers with very limited international networks like Southwest are really starting to suffer.
Alaska Airlines already has various codeshare agreements feeding international passengers into its network, but it remains to be seen whether there’s an opportunity for Alaska Airlines to also operate its own long-haul flights.
Perhaps a Boeing 787 Dreamliner order could be in the works sometime soon?
