Hawaiian Airlines objects to Mesa Air's interisland start-up

By Andrew Compart

Hawaiian Airlines has gone to court to try to prevent Mesa Air Group from launching a low-fare, interisland service this April that would compete against Hawaiian, Aloha and Island Air.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Hawaii, alleges Mesa is launching interisland service based on propriety business information it obtained from Hawaiian when Hawaiian was in bankruptcy.

Hawaiian said Mesa, which gained access to the information as a potential investor, signed a confidentiality agreement in which it pledged not to use the information against Hawaiian for two years after being given access to it.

Hawaiian is asking the court for an injunction that would prevent Mesa from launching interisland service for at least two years and for “an award of damages, in an amount to be proven at trial.”