matnikstym

After the two potential buyers for Aloha's cargo division backed out, Aloha announced their cargo planes will stop flying today. The U.S. Postal Service is scrambling to find another cargo service to fly the mail to Maui and the Big Island. Over 300 more people lost their jobs.

beatofhawaii_com

We may not see too much mail here on Kauai for a bit. It also impacts the other delivery services, and some food and other things. Hawaiian is supposed to be getting cargo 717's in the Fall and Mokulele has gotten approval to do cargo as well.

Aloha, beatofhawaii.com

Marginal

Today's Honolulu Advertiser newspaper is reporting that 85% of inter-island cargo (including mail) was delivered by Aloha Airlines. This is a huge blow to local farmers, florists, provisioners, and even banks who rely on Aloha to transport perishables and even money by cargo.

This can only mean more expensive goods and services. Love's Bakery is flying baked goods to LA to get them to Hawaii and Maui!.

Hawaii is only going to be more expensive for all those who live and visit, sadly.

bennyb

Perhaps the dreaded SuperFerry can make cargo deliveries? When Maui had flooding/landslide problems, the ferry brought in equipment to help out. But knowing how much the nieghbor islands hate the ferry, that probably won't happen.

I am sorry to see the last of Aloha's operations go. I know the pilots were fighting with the company over who would get to fly the cargo routes (existing cargo pilots or the displace, but more senior, passenger pilots). I guess it's all moot now.

matnikstym

Yes, for now the Superferry will be taking over much of the cargo delivery to Maui.
At least they'll get their mail.

MelissaHI

Like it or not, businesses WILL have to start looking at the Superferry (as well as other options)--they've already been talking about that.

I heard on the news this morning that the latest shutdown, combined with the loss of the commuter side, totals about 3000 lost jobs.

matnikstym

Very sad Melissa. Not to mention the farmers crops that will be lost, the flower growers etc. etc.
Something needs to be done! Bring the SF to the Big Island-I'm all for it.

kauai_aka

lingle won't help aloha but pushed for sf into service. i smell a big fish.

chepar

Supposedly Aloha cargo operations have a chance now, negotiations are underway again for its purchase.

The Superferry can transport cargo to Maui, but not Kauai - the prostestors took care of that.

Given the uncertainty of whether Aloha cargo operations will start up again, I wonder if all the protestors for the Superferry still think it's a bad thing.

FainaAgain

This is awful. People loosing jobs, prices up, a state is getting cut off from the rest of the country.

And took me a moment to understand that SF is SuperFerry, not SanFrancisco

bennyb

I heard the Aloha cargo employees showed up anyway, after operations were shut down, to keep working (apparently for free) to get the last shipments to the customers. Now that's Aloha.

lcuy

Actually Lingle did take the whole aloha bancruptcy thing to court to try and stop it.

Maybe too little to late, but she did try.

beatofhawaii_com

As you may have seen, the parent of Young Bros., our inter-island barge system by which almost everything in the state travels, looks to be back on to buy the air cargo business.

If I understand it though, they needed to have it go under first, because the AQ cargo pilots were getting paid over $100K/year and Young Bros. was only paying $55K/year to their counterparts in Alaska.

Don't stress too much, it will get worked out. We've lived through lots of these here before. Young Bros. went on strike a few years ago, and that really put the kabosh on stuff. That made this look like nothing.

Aloha Kakou,
beatofhawaii.com

kauai_aka

lcuy, i just wanted to see if she would call for another "special session." that'll be numero dos in my lifetime i've heard of such a term.

matnikstym

The bad thing about YB taking over is that they are always asking for and getting increases in fees to ship interisland. Go into their offices and the women are dripping in gold, the stevedores make probably the best wages in the state (yes it's union but...) and we'll be at their mercy. Smells of a shipping monopoly to me as they will have 100% of interisland water cargo and 85% of air cargo. No competition and you know from their history the price to ship will only go up.

beth_fitz

It's time for another airline to step up...Southwest????

ElendilPickle

>>And took me a moment to understand that SF is SuperFerry, not SanFrancisco <<

Me too, except I thought it was Santa Fe.

I hope this situation gets worked out quickly; I can't imagine the difficulty it causes.

Lee Ann