Alaska Airlines Names New Hawaiian Airlines CEO

Alaska Air Group, in a move to further integrate Hawaiian Airlines, announced on Wednesday that Diana Birkett Krakow has been named the new CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. Birkett Krakow, who is currently Alaska’s senior vice president of public affairs and sustainability, will take over for the retiring Joe Sprague on Oct. 29 and will be based in Honolulu.

Birkett Krakow has spent eight years at Alaska across various departments, including government affairs, communications, community and cultural relations, and customer engagement. She has also served on the Hawaiian Airlines board for the last year, working with both airlines on the plan to become a single carrier following the acquisition announcement in December 2023.

The merger is expected to be fully approved after the Federal Aviation Administration issues a single operation certificate for the two airlines later this fall.

Sprague, who started with Alaska over 25 years ago, will stay on through the transition. He had been serving as Hawaiian’s president since September 2024, following the deal being made official.

“It has been an honor to serve Hawaiian Airlines and its incredible team,” said Sprague. “We accomplished a lot together over the past year and, with a single operating certificate imminent, we are at a natural transition point.  Diana is the right person to guide Hawaiian Airlines into a new chapter.”