Originally Posted by
tallpilot
So neither Hawaiian nor Southwest can make money flying interisland? Is even the 717 too big? Too much frequency? Are ferries better? Caravans? DHC-8s?
I suppose having direct narrow body service from the west coast to most of the islands does put a damper on the tourists using it.
No surprise about North-South West coast flying. That hasn't been profitable since deregulation.
Too many airlines charging below cost to run the other carrier out has resulted in history repeating itself. Aloha/Hawaiian made it by putting a stop to that and having anti-trust immunity to set fares. 717 is perfect. Charging the equivalent of flights on the mainland of the same distance on the mainland is not unreasonable.