Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA) ("we" or the "Company"), parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. ("Hawaiian"), today announced the addition of C. Jayne Hrdlicka, former CEO of Australia-based Jetstar Group, and Michael E. McNamara, Executive Vice President and CIO of Target Corporation to its Board of Directors.
Hrdlicka, who served as CEO of New Zealand's a2 Milk Company after her time at Jetstar parent Qantas Airways, has substantial experience in the airline and retail sectors. McNamara joined Target in 2015 and in his capacity as CIO has overseen the transformation of the retailer's technology portfolio. Prior to joining Target, McNamara held positions of increasing authority with TESCO, a publicly traded international retailer headquartered in the UK.
"We welcome the additional experience and perspective both Jayne and Mike will bring to our Board of Directors, particularly as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic," said Larry Hershfield, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. "Jayne brings significant airline and international perspective to our company, while Mike adds deep expertise in technology with consumer-focused companies."
Also today, the Company reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2020.
"Our second quarter results reflect the continued impact of COVID-19 and State of Hawai'i quarantines on our business," said Peter Ingram, Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO. "In the face of these unprecedented challenges, we have taken action to preserve and raise cash and are crafting plans to position us for the future even as we address the immediate adversity. With our leisure business model and relentless focus on the needs of the Hawai'i traveler, we are positioned to emerge from this crisis poised for success. I am grateful, as always, for the efforts of my extraordinary colleagues, as they take care of our guests and adapt to this ever-changing environment with passion and dedication."
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of June 30, 2020, the Company had:
- Unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $761 million
- Outstanding debt and finance lease obligations of $1,006 million
- Air traffic liability of $554 million
Second Quarter 2020
The State of Hawai'i was under the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for both neighbor island and all incoming travelers for most of the second quarter of 2020, and as a consequence, the Company operated an extremely limited schedule. The mandatory 14-day self-quarantine restriction was lifted on June 16, 2020 for neighbor island travel only. Following this announcement, the Company increased neighbor island flight activity, but continued with its reduced schedule for longer haul flights.
In addition to service suspension and schedule reduction, the Company has taken, and will continue to take, actions to minimize cash outflow in an effort to mitigate the effects of reduced demand, including, but not limited to:
- Suspended dividend payments on, and the repurchase of, its common stock
- Instituted a hiring freeze across the Company, except for operationally critical and essential positions
- Deferred non-critical capital expenditures
- Instituted voluntary unpaid leave programs and exploring involuntary headcount reduction
- Reduced executive pay by 10% - 50%
- Reduced other discretionary spending, including contractor and vendor spend
- Negotiated payment deferrals with key vendors
As of June 30, 2020, the Company has received $214.2 million in grants and $49.0 million in loans pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") Payroll Support Program ("PSP"). The Company expects to receive an additional $29.2 million in July 2020.
Third Quarter 2020
Due to the uncertain timing of the relaxation of travel and quarantine restrictions, the Company is unable to provide detailed guidance related to capacity expectations for the quarter ending September 30, 2020. July 2020 capacity, in terms of available seat miles (ASMs), is expected to be approximately 86% below the capacity flown in July 2019, and the Company expects August 2020 capacity to decrease 85% compared to August 2019. As a significant portion of the Company's costs are fixed, operating expenses are not expected to decline in proportion to the capacity decline.
To further increase liquidity, the Company has entered into additional financing transactions in July 2020. This includes the following:
- Raised $114 million through the sale and leaseback of two Airbus A321neo aircraft
- Signed a non-binding letter of intent with the U.S. Department of Treasury pursuant to which the Company is eligible to receive up to $364 million in Economic Relief Program ("ERP") loans offered under the CARES Act; the Company has until March 2021 to determine how much of the available ERP funds to borrow.
COVID-19 Response - Guest Experience and Community Relations
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has enhanced cleaning procedures and revised guest-facing procedures in an effort to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19. These procedures are in line with current recommendations from leading public health authorities and include:
- Performing enhanced aircraft cleaning between flights and overnight, including recurring electrostatic spraying of all aircraft
- Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of counters and self-service check-in kiosks in our airports
- Ensuring hand sanitizers are readily available for guests statewide and at our mainland airports
- Requiring guests and guest-facing employees to wear face masks or coverings, with guests required to keep them on from check-in to deplaning
- Modifying boarding and deplaning processes and limiting the capacity of available seats on all aircraft to no higher than 70% to provide physical distancing
- Changing in-flight service to reduce close interactions between crew members and guests
The Company, along with its employees, has also taken measures to support the community through the COVID-19 pandemic, which include:
- Donating Main Cabin and Business Class pillowcases, blankets, mattress pads, amenity kits, and Business Class slippers to 12 local organizations serving the community during the pandemic
- Offering complimentary neighbor island transportation for medical professionals in April and May
- Providing complimentary transportation of food and household items from O'ahu to both Moloka'i and Lana'i in April and May
- Volunteering to support local non-profit organizations addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, from company-wide efforts to individual employee initiatives
Statistical information, as well as a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures, can be found in the accompanying tables.