Hawaiian Airlines indicates network will remain skeletal for foreseeable future

The airline has 10 787-9s on order, with first delivery slated for the first half of 2021. Because of the uncertainty of the business outlook and the cost and complexity of adding a new type, the current 787 entry-into-service date “is no longer appropriate,” CEO Peter Ingram said during Hawaiian’s first-quarter earnings call.

Hawaiian has “engaged with Boeing in discussions to determine whether our 787 deliveries can be re-phased,” Ingram said. These talks are continuing. However, Ingram also stressed that the airline “remain[s] committed to the 787 as our flagship aircraft of the future.”

The carrier reported a net loss of $144.4 million in the first quarter, compared to a profit of $36.4 million in the same period a year earlier. Passenger revenue was down 16.3% year-over-year.

Hawaiian has reduced operations to a “bare-bones” level, as travel restrictions in the US and overseas have “eviscerated demand,” Ingram said.

Traffic dropped 10.1% in the first quarter on a capacity increase of 2.6%. Hawaiian cut its schedule by 95% in the last week of March, as Hawaii’s state quarantine rules entered force. Capacity is estimated to be down by 94% for April, and 91% in May.