Hawaiian Airlines’ 1Q2014 loss offers underlying encouragement; but its long-haul woes remain intact

Hawaiian Airlines was one of two US major carriers to report a loss during 1Q2014, joining United Airlines in losing money during the first three months of the year. But the similarities end there as Hawaiian's performance in many important metrics, including passenger unit revenue growth, was solid year-on-year.

While Hawaiian continues to make strides in its North American and inter-island performance, its relatively younger international network is still recording negative unit revenue performance.

The airline has taken steps to shore up its fortunes in its long-haul international network through the cancellation of short-lived service from Honolulu to Taipei and between Honolulu and Fukuoka. Much of that capacity is being deployed back to the US mainland, which Hawaiian feels confident should be absorbed by demand.