11 October 2006

Mokulele Air Becomes go! Express

Airliners Gallery reports that go!'s alliance with Mokulele Air has transformed the latter to become an "express" carrier, signalling go's foray into the smaller Hawaiian airports served by Island Air (WP) and Pacific Wings (LW). This actually looks like an attempt by go! to take on LW, as the two owners have been carrying on a less-publicized battle about LW's amount counter space @ HNL's Commuter Terminal.

Ironically, HNL's Commuter Terminal signage announces Mokulele's presence, but I have yet to see one of their Piper Chieftains here. go! Express is starting service with Cessna Caravans, the same aircraft as Pacific Wings. Question is, will the livery for the Caravans be a go!-based one, or have the Mokulele livery as the Chieftains had (they're gone). The Mokulele Air website has no mention of its partnership with go!. Jonathan Ornstein, himself, told me (on go!'s media day) that Mesa and Mokulele were forging an alliance, for passengers and maintenance.

Looks like go! is attacking both the main inter-island carriers, as well as the little guys.

Honolulu Star*Bulletin articles pertaining to the go! / Mokulele partnership, along with WP and LW reactions: Sept 27, 06, Sept 15, 06, and Sept 14, 06.

As the fan blades spin ...

1 comment:

funbird2006 said...

www.dontflygo.com is reporting that go! express will face difficulty starting out, the mesa Pilots may have a grievance to file regarding this codeshare.

Looks like Mesa is just making everybody mad about their existence in Hawaii.