Aloha Airlines Ceases All Passenger Operations Beginning April 1, 2008
Apr 21, 2008, 1:59 am
#196
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You're right, I think. I can't find information on when Aloha may have originally gone public, but Wikipedia's entry on Aloha says… "In late 1986, [Hung Wo] Ching and vice-chairman Sheridan Ing announced plans to take the company private, and it remained in the hands of the Ing and Ching families until its emergence from bankruptcy in 2006…"
The infamous "convertible 737" accident occurred in 1988 (I remember it all too well) so the return to private ownership doesn't appear to be at all connected to the accident.
So, I stand corrected. I hadn't remembered Aloha being publicly held. Blame my memory cells, they've got a few (air) miles on them. ;-) Thanks for setting me straight.
The infamous "convertible 737" accident occurred in 1988 (I remember it all too well) so the return to private ownership doesn't appear to be at all connected to the accident.
So, I stand corrected. I hadn't remembered Aloha being publicly held. Blame my memory cells, they've got a few (air) miles on them. ;-) Thanks for setting me straight.
Apr 22, 2008, 12:52 am
#197
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Oh, you are certainly welcome. Mahalo for filling in on the 80's history. BTW, Sheridan Ing, I believe, was a high profile developer in Hawaii in the 1980's. I think he had a partnership with another developer Bruce Stark, who developed high end residential and commercial real estate projects. I think the Waikiki Trade Center was one of them. Sorry to veer off course a bit, but it is impressive that Sherry Ing was also leading AQ at the time. I also considered AQs expansion years to be in the 1960's and 1970's under the leadership of Dr. Ching. The other expansion era was the post-737 accident era in the 1990s when continuous Mainland-Hawaii service was developed.
Apr 22, 2008, 1:57 am
#198
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Aloha history
I found a more complete history of Aloha than I'd seen elsewhere in a Star-Bulletin article from 2004, here: http://starbulletin.com/2004/12/31/news/story1.html (Scroll down past the initial article about the 2004 bankruptcy filing to get to the history.)
I'll paste in the text of the article below. It fills in some of the gaps in Aloha's history that we were discussing. I'd forgotten that there had been at least three attempts by Aloha to acquire or merge with Hawaiian Airlines over the years.
--- Article below (c) 2004, Honolulu Star-Bulletin ---
When Trans-Pacific Airlines made its maiden flight in 1946, it was appropriately scheduled on an Aloha Friday.
That Honolulu-to-Hilo DC-3 flight was the first of thousands for the airline, which would formally change its name to Aloha Airlines in 1958.
Aloha, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization yesterday, has a long history of providing affordable and reliable flights to the neighbor islands for local residents.
It also boasts a long track record of local ownership.
The airline was founded by local publishing executive Ruddy Tongg as an upstart challenger to Hawaiian Airlines. Tongg's original investors included local real estate investor Hung Wo Ching, according to Bill Wood's book "50 Years of Aloha."
The airline business took off in 1959 with the advent of jet service to the islands.
In the early 1970s, the airline nearly merged with rival Hawaiian Airlines before the deal was scuttled at the last minute.
In 1986, Ching, then Aloha's chairman, and local developer Sheridan Ing fought off a takeover attempt from Dallas-based CNS Partners by taking the company private.
The company continues to be controlled by members of the Ing and Ching families.
In 2000, Aloha launched its first mainland routes with flights between Honolulu and Oakland, Calif. The airline now operates 42 weekly mainland flights.
A year later -- and months after the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy -- Aloha and rival Hawaiian discussed another merger. The deal, which was initiated by Dallas-based TurnWorks Inc., later fell apart with both sides pointing fingers at each other.
55 years of service
Here's a brief history of Aloha Airlines:
1949: Local publisher Ruddy Tongg organizes the hui Trans-Pacific Airlines as a charter carrier.
1958: Real estate developer Hung Wo Ching buys a 10 percent stake in the nearly bankrupt Trans-Pacific Airlines, renaming it Aloha Airlines. Ching serves as chairman of the publicly held company's board from the mid-1960s until he converts it to a private company in 1987.
1969: Begins flying Boeing 737 jets, replacing propeller-driven airplanes.
1970: Merger plan with Hawaiian Airlines falls through.
1986: Successfully fights off takeover attempt from Dallas-based CNS Partners, then goes private.
1988: Aloha and Hawaiian halt talks of a merger, in which Aloha expressed interest in acquiring Hawaiian.
1998: Aloha reduces its daily schedule by 10 flights to 168 interisland trips and announces 5 percent reductions in its work force even as its privately owned parent, Aloha Airgroup Inc., reports its net profit jumped to $4.9 million from $1 million for the first nine months of the year.
2000: Launches first mainland flights, with service from Honolulu to Oakland, Calif.
2001: Attempted merger with Hawaiian. Aloha cuts interisland flights by 25 percent and lays off 250 workers. At the same time, the airlines receive their first multimillion-dollar installments from a federal aid package for airlines. In November the competing airlines are granted an antitrust exemption that lets them coordinate schedules.
2002: Merger attempt with Hawaiian Airlines fails.
2003: Hawaiian files for bankruptcy.
2004: Aloha files for bankruptcy.
I'll paste in the text of the article below. It fills in some of the gaps in Aloha's history that we were discussing. I'd forgotten that there had been at least three attempts by Aloha to acquire or merge with Hawaiian Airlines over the years.
--- Article below (c) 2004, Honolulu Star-Bulletin ---
When Trans-Pacific Airlines made its maiden flight in 1946, it was appropriately scheduled on an Aloha Friday.
That Honolulu-to-Hilo DC-3 flight was the first of thousands for the airline, which would formally change its name to Aloha Airlines in 1958.
Aloha, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization yesterday, has a long history of providing affordable and reliable flights to the neighbor islands for local residents.
It also boasts a long track record of local ownership.
The airline was founded by local publishing executive Ruddy Tongg as an upstart challenger to Hawaiian Airlines. Tongg's original investors included local real estate investor Hung Wo Ching, according to Bill Wood's book "50 Years of Aloha."
The airline business took off in 1959 with the advent of jet service to the islands.
In the early 1970s, the airline nearly merged with rival Hawaiian Airlines before the deal was scuttled at the last minute.
In 1986, Ching, then Aloha's chairman, and local developer Sheridan Ing fought off a takeover attempt from Dallas-based CNS Partners by taking the company private.
The company continues to be controlled by members of the Ing and Ching families.
In 2000, Aloha launched its first mainland routes with flights between Honolulu and Oakland, Calif. The airline now operates 42 weekly mainland flights.
A year later -- and months after the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy -- Aloha and rival Hawaiian discussed another merger. The deal, which was initiated by Dallas-based TurnWorks Inc., later fell apart with both sides pointing fingers at each other.
55 years of service
Here's a brief history of Aloha Airlines:
1949: Local publisher Ruddy Tongg organizes the hui Trans-Pacific Airlines as a charter carrier.
1958: Real estate developer Hung Wo Ching buys a 10 percent stake in the nearly bankrupt Trans-Pacific Airlines, renaming it Aloha Airlines. Ching serves as chairman of the publicly held company's board from the mid-1960s until he converts it to a private company in 1987.
1969: Begins flying Boeing 737 jets, replacing propeller-driven airplanes.
1970: Merger plan with Hawaiian Airlines falls through.
1986: Successfully fights off takeover attempt from Dallas-based CNS Partners, then goes private.
1988: Aloha and Hawaiian halt talks of a merger, in which Aloha expressed interest in acquiring Hawaiian.
1998: Aloha reduces its daily schedule by 10 flights to 168 interisland trips and announces 5 percent reductions in its work force even as its privately owned parent, Aloha Airgroup Inc., reports its net profit jumped to $4.9 million from $1 million for the first nine months of the year.
2000: Launches first mainland flights, with service from Honolulu to Oakland, Calif.
2001: Attempted merger with Hawaiian. Aloha cuts interisland flights by 25 percent and lays off 250 workers. At the same time, the airlines receive their first multimillion-dollar installments from a federal aid package for airlines. In November the competing airlines are granted an antitrust exemption that lets them coordinate schedules.
2002: Merger attempt with Hawaiian Airlines fails.
2003: Hawaiian files for bankruptcy.
2004: Aloha files for bankruptcy.
Apr 22, 2008, 5:22 am
#199
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(This is not to say that I'll stop dissing go!, or fly anything other than HA inter-island...)
Apr 24, 2008, 4:01 am
#200
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Mahalo daviator and Dantravels for your sharing of AQ history.
I think I was around for the first of the proposed mergers. I remember one of the local newspapers in 1970 showing a photomontage of a DC-9-30 with the name "Hawaiian-Aloha" on it. From that time on, whenever one of the two carriers were in financial trouble, the locals would say, "Okay, here we go again-they're gonna merge..."
My memory lane is challenging the Star Bulletin right now by noting that in 1958 (approximately) AQ bought Dutch designed/American licensed Fairchild F-27s, making AQ the first interisland carrier to launch "jet-powered" turboprop services. Trivia continues with around 1964, when AQ operates four-engined Vickers Viscount turboprops, along with F-27s, thus retiring the DC-3 Vistaliners, making AQ, "Hawaii's all Jet-Powered airline". Then in 1965, AQ operates the British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven 200s. This was the first T-tailed short haul jet service in the Hawaiian islands, months before HA started DC-9-10 service in 1966. The F-27s were then retired. In 1969, AQ's Boeing era started with 737-200 operations, where the BAC One-Elevens were retired first. Then the Viscounts were retired, making AQ, Hawaii's first all jet airline, flying all Boeings - this is somewhere in the early 1970s.
I stand to be corrected that continuous Mainland-Hawaii service occured at the turn of the 20th century. Those ETOPS 737-700s were something, however, this era still pales by comparison IMO, compared to AQs fleet expansion years in the 1960s and 1970s. I even remembered some film where there was a roll-out ceremony of AQ's first BAC One-Eleven at the BAC plant in England, where the plane was accompanied in front with a Scottisch bagpipe marching band. Perhaps some historian should really capture that in AQs colorful, international yet exclusively interisland flying history in the 60s/70s.
I think I was around for the first of the proposed mergers. I remember one of the local newspapers in 1970 showing a photomontage of a DC-9-30 with the name "Hawaiian-Aloha" on it. From that time on, whenever one of the two carriers were in financial trouble, the locals would say, "Okay, here we go again-they're gonna merge..."
My memory lane is challenging the Star Bulletin right now by noting that in 1958 (approximately) AQ bought Dutch designed/American licensed Fairchild F-27s, making AQ the first interisland carrier to launch "jet-powered" turboprop services. Trivia continues with around 1964, when AQ operates four-engined Vickers Viscount turboprops, along with F-27s, thus retiring the DC-3 Vistaliners, making AQ, "Hawaii's all Jet-Powered airline". Then in 1965, AQ operates the British Aircraft Corporation One-Eleven 200s. This was the first T-tailed short haul jet service in the Hawaiian islands, months before HA started DC-9-10 service in 1966. The F-27s were then retired. In 1969, AQ's Boeing era started with 737-200 operations, where the BAC One-Elevens were retired first. Then the Viscounts were retired, making AQ, Hawaii's first all jet airline, flying all Boeings - this is somewhere in the early 1970s.
I stand to be corrected that continuous Mainland-Hawaii service occured at the turn of the 20th century. Those ETOPS 737-700s were something, however, this era still pales by comparison IMO, compared to AQs fleet expansion years in the 1960s and 1970s. I even remembered some film where there was a roll-out ceremony of AQ's first BAC One-Eleven at the BAC plant in England, where the plane was accompanied in front with a Scottisch bagpipe marching band. Perhaps some historian should really capture that in AQs colorful, international yet exclusively interisland flying history in the 60s/70s.
May 9, 2008, 3:44 pm
#201
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And truly sad pictures of the empty AQ gates:
http://hnlrarebirds.blogspot.com/200...oha-gates.html
http://hnlrarebirds.blogspot.com/200...oha-gates.html
May 12, 2008, 12:09 pm
#202
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Flying into HNL last Friday, it was somewhat poignant to hear "Aloha 934" in the ATC pattern. Nice to know at least one part of the airline is still flying.
Jun 5, 2008, 2:28 am
#203
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And the fate of at least one AQ jet:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_iKdrOeTCljo/...P+(MN)(LR).jpg
http://bp3.blogger.com/_iKdrOeTCljo/...P+(MN)(LR).jpg
Jun 5, 2008, 3:29 am
#204
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Mahalo slippahs for this curious photo. I am wondering, now that you linked this photo to find out something also curious that I saw in another thread or perhaps on youtube re AQs last delivery of 737-700s. It seems that it was ex-Transavia. Was the plane(s) delivered all the way from AMS to HNL-stops notwithstanding? And is that plane currently in storage at HNL I assume?