New owner of Mokulele Airlines plans layoffs

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Layoffs are being planned at Mokulele Airlines, which was recently acquired by mainland carrier Southern Airways.

The company said in a statement that it’s "focused on right-sizing our operation for the long-term health and viability of our company going forward."

While it wasn’t immediately clear how many people would be laid off, Southern said “targeted layoffs of less than 10 percent of our entire workforce” were being planned.

“We always regret losing loyal team members, but the air service marketplace in Hawaii is very competitive at the moment, and Mokulele is committed to being a permanent leader in our field,” Southern Airways said.

Southern Airways is well established in the Gulf South, mid-Atlantic and South Florida. Their fleet is comprised of Cessna planes, similar to those that Mokulele uses.