On October 21, 2022, Hawaiian Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, Inc., announced an agreement with Amazon.com, Inc. in which Hawaiian will operate and maintain aircraft to move cargo for Amazon. As part of the transaction, Hawaiian issued Amazon warrants to purchase up to 15 percent of its shares of common stock, exercisable over nine years. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Hawaiian on the transaction.

The arrangement is scheduled to start in the fall of 2023, and Hawaiian plans to create a pilot base on the continental United States and expand the hiring of pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, and supply chain employees to help support the new operation.  The initial fleet operated and maintained under the agreement by Hawaiian has the potential to expand depending on Amazon’s business needs.

The Wilson Sonsini team that advised Hawaiian on the transaction included:

Corporate
Tony Jeffries
Amanda Urquiza
Andrew Collins
Zack Lenox
Tyler Kivley

Antitrust
Ben Labow

Employee Benefits and Compensation
Dave Thomas

Tax
Greg Broome

For more information, please see Hawaiian’s press release and news coverage at the Wall Street Journal.