With the merger of Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, the company controls nearly half of the passenger air traffic between Hawaiʻi and the continental U.S.
There is a new Alaska-Hawaiian app as the two brands merged passenger reservation systems.
The changes have put HPR in a reflective mood.
The Conversation is delighted to share an interview with the oldest-living former pilot of Hawaiian Airlines.
Gilbert Hicks is 98 years old. He came to Hawaiʻi in 1949 with the U.S. Navy. He spoke with HPR about landing in Keʻehi Lagoon in a Martin Mars flying boat.
This story aired on The Conversation on May 19, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
