Hawaiian Airlines gets its first female CEO ahead of return to New Zealand

Diana Birkett Rakow will be the next Hawaiian Airlines chief executive.

Hawaiian Airlines has appointed Harvard graduate Diana Birkett Rakow as its chief executive and plans to resume flying direct to Auckland in mid-November.

Alaska Air Group said Birkett Rakow, its current senior vice president of public affairs and sustainability, would succeed Joe Sprague on October 29.

Hawaiian Airlines will resume Auckland-Honolulu direct flights on November 16.

The airline will compete with Air New Zealand on the Auckland-Honolulu route.

Hawaiian Airlines country director Russell (Rusty) Williss said many Kiwi travellers wanted Christmas and school holiday getaways in Hawai’i and the US mainland.

The two cities are the biggest in Polynesia and direct flights take about eight or eight-and-a-half hours.

“Following our combination with Alaska Airlines, we have also welcomed significant inbound growth – travellers originating from the US mainland and especially the Pacific Northwest discovering the appeal of flying Hawaiian Airlines via Honolulu to the Auckland gateway,” Williss said.

Hawaiian will operate the route with 278-seat, wide-body Airbus A330s with 18 premium cabin lie-flat leather seats, 68 “Extra Comfort” seats and 192 main cabin seats.

Hawaiian Airlines today said Sprague had guided the merger with Alaska Airlines.

Birkett Rakow will be based in Honolulu, the company’s second-largest hub after Seattle.

“She will be the first woman CEO for Hawaiian Airlines and will head the company’s Honolulu leadership team, which includes many long-time Hawaiian Airlines leaders,” the company added.

The airline has more than 6600 employees in the island state.

Birkett Rakow will continue to report to Ben Minicucci, Alaska Air Group CEO.

She will maintain oversight of company-wide sustainability and venture investment strategies.

Birkett Rakow’s appointment comes at a time of increased focus in the sector on sustainability.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

But doing so will likely require a huge increase in the use of sustainable aviation fuel (Saf).

Iata has voiced frustration at policymakers, aerospace manufacturers, oil companies, and fuel producers, suggesting more must be done to support Saf development.

And next month, Iata will host the World Sustainability Symposium in Hong Kong.

The airline said Birkett Rakow had led the company’s sustainability efforts, government affairs, communications, and cultural relations in Hawaii and Alaska.

Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are all subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, with McGee Air Services a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines.

John Weekes is a business journalist covering aviation. He has previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and courts.