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Spirit
of Aloha | Message
of Aloha |November/December
2004 Message
of Aloha
By: GLENN R. ZANDER
VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Editor's Note: After 10 years at the helm, Glenn R. Zander
stepped down as Aloha's President and Chief Executive
Officer on Oct. 4. This is his last column.
Bidding Aloha, but Not Goodbye
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PHOTO:BRETT
UPRICHARD
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Over the past 10 years, Aloha Airlines has dealt with some extraordinarily difficult challenges. The changes in the airline industry have been truly incredible as we have moved into a world of e-tickets, kiosk check-in, Internet shopping for airline fares, the related change in the role of the travel agent and the demise of a more personal relationship with the customer.
At Aloha, we have seen the traditional role of our company as an interisland airline eroded as new aircraft technology enabled airlines to fly directly to Neighbor Island airports, diminishing the role of Honolulu as a hub for connecting passengers. The need to construct longer runways, an issue when I arrived in 1994, was nullified by the deployment of new aircraft types.
In addition to these structural changes, we have faced an almost never-ending series of crises: the collapse of travel after 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, SARS, soaring fuel prices, the migration of Japanese travelers to other destinations, the collapse of a proposed merger with our rival Hawaiian Airlines and the emergence of low-cost carriers and their dramatic impact on the economics of our business.
On the positive side, Aloha set the pace in the entire airline industry by pioneering long-distance, overseas flights aboard the Boeing 737-700 aircraft. We acquired two of those aircraft in 2000, and embarked on a bold new venture linking Hawai‘i to secondary airports on the West Coast. Our strategy was simple: offer convenience and a great inflight product at an affordable price.
Our niche-market strategy has worked and we’re now operating 13 aircraft to U.S. mainland and Pacific destinations. Notwithstanding the diminished interisland market, we have doubled the size of the company and its revenues over the decade.
On a personal note, I am stepping down as President and CEO to spend more time with my wife, who is undergoing continuing medical treatment on the East Coast. It has been my privilege to lead Aloha over the past 10 years and to work with a great group of airline professionals. I am pleased that, although I will no longer be managing the company on a day-to-day basis, I have been asked to serve Aloha as Vice Chairman of the Board of Aloha Airlines and I hope to continue contributing to its success
Aloha and mahalo.
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