Hawaiian Air, JAL partner to see antitrust immunity to enhance competition




Hawaiian Airlines has entered a joint venture with Japan Airlines in filing application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Japan´s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) seeking immunity from antitrust laws, the company said.

If approved, this will be Hawaiian´s first JV, and the first JV in the United States that does not involve one of the three largest U.S. carriers.

The antitrust immunized joint venture (ATI-JV) will build upon the codeshare partnership that the two carriers initiated in March, allowing them to coordinate marketing and sales efforts and share costs and revenue on their joint venture routes. In their application, Hawaiian and JAL demonstrate that the resulting efficiency will create a cascade of consumer benefits including lower fares, increased capacity and enhanced consumer choice. 

Hawaiian and JAL estimate that the JV will bring an additional 162,000 to 350,000 passengers to Hawai´i and contribute between $184.5 million and $402.3 million to the U.S. economy annually, while generating between 1,855 to 4,049 U.S. jobs.
Japan Airlines (JAL) was founded in 1951 and became the first international airline in Japan. A member of the oneworld alliance, the airline now reaches more than 344 airports in 56 countries and regions together with its codeshare partners with a modern fleet of more than 228 aircraft. 

Hawaiian Airlines is Hawai´i´s biggest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers non-stop service to Hawai´i from more U.S. gateway cities (12) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 170 jet flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands, with a total of more than 250 daily flights system-wide. Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA).