Hawaiian Holdings (HA) Risk Analysis

Labor costs are a significant component of airline expenses and can substantially impact an airline's results of operations. A significant portion of our workforce is represented by labor unions. We have entered into collective bargaining agreements with our pilots, mechanical group employees, clerical group employees, flight attendants, and dispatchers. We cannot ensure that future agreements with our employees' labor unions will be on terms in line with our expectations or comparable to agreements entered into by our competitors, and any future agreements may increase our labor costs or otherwise adversely affect our business. We may make strategic and operational decisions that may require the consent of one or more of these labor unions, and these labor unions could demand additional wages, benefits or other consideration in return for their consent. Application of state and local laws to our operations may conflict with federal laws, or with the laws of other states and local governments, and may subject us to additional requirements and restrictions, which might affect our relationship with our workforce and cause our expenses to increase. Application of conflicting laws may result in operational disruption or have negative effects on our collective bargaining agreements, and any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with federal, state or local labor laws may lead to litigation.

The success of our business depends on, among other things, the ability to effectively operate a certain number and type of aircraft. As noted above, we are uncertain about the future of our contractual commitments to purchase additional aircraft for our fleet and have and may continue to experience supply chain delays that impact the availability of our aircraft. Our inability to purchase and introduce new aircraft into our fleet could negatively impact our business, operations and financial performance. Even if we proceed with some or all of our contractual commitments to purchase additional aircraft, delays in scheduled aircraft or our failure to integrate newly purchased aircraft into our fleet as planned may require us to utilize our existing fleet longer than expected. Such extensions may require us to operate existing aircraft beyond the point at which it is economically optimal to retire them, resulting in increased maintenance costs.

Our results, operations, and plans for decarbonization are heavily impacted by the price and availability of jet fuel. The cost of jet fuel remains high and the availability of jet fuel remains volatile. The cost and availability of jet fuel are subject to political, economic, and market factors that are generally outside of our control, including those related to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the widening conflict in the Middle East. Prices may be affected by many factors including, without limitation, the impact of political instability, crude oil production and refining capacity, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production volume, unexpected changes in the availability of petroleum products due to disruptions to distribution systems or refineries, unpredicted increases in demand due to weather or the pace of global economic growth, inventory reserve levels of crude oil and other petroleum products, the relative fluctuation between the U.S. dollar and other major currencies, government taxes, regulations and subsidies that change the price or reduce the availability of jet fuel, and the actions of speculators in commodity markets. Because of the effects of these factors on the price and availability of jet fuel, the cost and future availability of fuel cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty. Also, due to the competitive nature of the airline industry, there can be no assurance that we will be able to increase our fares or other fees to sufficiently offset any increase in fuel prices. While we may enter into derivative agreements to protect against the volatility of fuel costs, there is no assurance that such agreements will protect us during unfavorable market conditions or that counterparties will be able to perform under these hedge arrangements. See Item 7A "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 for further information regarding our exposure to the price of fuel.

The airline industry is characterized by low profit margins, high fixed costs, and significant price competition. We compete with other airlines on all of our Domestic and International routes. The commencement of, or increase in, service on our routes by existing or new carriers at aggressive prices has and could continue to negatively impact our operating results, including as demand for air travel rebuilds. Most of our competitors are much larger and have greater financial resources and brand recognition than we do. Moreover, competitors or potential competitors may merge or enter alliances that increase their financial resources and other strategic advantages. Aggressive marketing tactics or a prolonged fare competition initiated by one or more of these competitors could adversely affect our financial resources and our ability to compete in these markets. Additionally, our competitors have been and may continue to be more successful in recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could impact our ability to compete successfully in the future. Since airline markets have few natural barriers to entry, we also face the constant threat of new entrants in all of our markets. Additional capacity to or within Hawai'i, whether from network carriers or low-cost carriers, could decrease our share of the markets in which we operate, could cause a decline in our yields, or both, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our results of operations reflect the impact of seasonal volatility primarily due to passenger leisure and holiday travel patterns. Because of fluctuations in our results from seasonality, operating results for a historical period are not necessarily indicative of operating results for a future period and operating results for an interim period are not necessarily indicative of operating results for an entire year. Moreover, due to the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demand for air travel generally and travel to and within Hawai'i specifically, we have seen significant declines in demand for air travel in fiscal years 2020 through 2023, as compared to the years before the COVID-19 pandemic. As Hawai'i is a popular vacation destination, demand from North America, our largest source of visitors, is typically stronger during the months of June, July, August and December and considerably weaker at other times of the year. Because of fluctuations in our results from seasonality, operating results for a historical period are not necessarily indicative of operating results for a future period and operating results for an interim period are not necessarily indicative of operating results for an entire year. Our cargo operations are also subject to seasonal volatility. Global trade flows are typically seasonal in nature, with peak activity during the retail holiday season. Demand for air cargo capacity is historically low following the seasonal holiday peak in the fourth quarter of the previous year. While we expect our revenues to fluctuate seasonally, a significant proportion of the costs associated with our cargo business, such as crew salaries and benefits, facilities and overhead costs, cannot easily be reduced to match the seasonal drop in demand. Because of fluctuations in our results from seasonality, operating results for a historical period are not necessarily indicative of operating results for a future period and operating results for an interim period are not necessarily indicative of operating results for an entire year.

Maintaining a good reputation globally is critical to our business. Our reputation or brand image could be adversely impacted by, among other things, any failure to maintain our safety record, our high ethical, social and environmental sustainability practices for all of our operations and activities, our ability to provide on-time operational service to our customers, our impact on the environment, public pressure from investors or policy groups to change our policies, such as initiatives to address climate change, customer perceptions of our advertising campaigns, sponsorship arrangements or marketing programs, or customer perceptions of statements made by us, our employees and executives, agents or other third parties. Damage to our reputation or brand image or loss of customer confidence in our services could adversely affect our business and financial results, as well as require additional resources to rebuild our reputation. We also increasingly use social media to communicate news and events. The inappropriate and/or unauthorized use of certain platforms or outlets could damage our brand image and reputation, and could lead to a loss of goodwill with our customers and stakeholders. Inappropriate or unauthorized use of social media could have legal implications if, for example, employees improperly collect or disseminate personally identifiable information of employees, customers or other stakeholders. Further, disclosure of our non-public information by our employees or others, whether intentional or unintentional, through social media could lead to information loss.

Airlines are subject to extensive regulatory requirements that result in significant costs. New, and modifications to existing, laws, regulations, taxes and airport rates, and charges imposed by domestic and foreign governments have been proposed from time to time that could significantly increase the cost of airline operations, restrict operations or reduce revenue. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from time to time issues directives and other regulations relating to the maintenance and operation of aircraft that require significant expenditures. Some FAA requirements cover, among other things, retirement of older aircraft, security measures, aircraft landing safety measures, including with respect to the interaction of aircraft systems with new technologies such as 5G C-band service, collision avoidance systems, airborne windshear avoidance systems, noise abatement and other environmental concerns, commuter aircraft safety and increased inspections, and maintenance procedures to be conducted on older aircraft. A failure to be in compliance, or a modification, suspension or revocation of any of our DOT/FAA authorizations or certificates, would have a material adverse impact on our operations. In 2018, Congress passed a five-year funding authorization for the FAA which was scheduled to expire in September 2023, and has been extended through May 10, 2024. The legislative process to renew this authorization (the FAA Reauthorization) could impact us, and the airline industry more generally, in numerous ways. As part of the FAA Reauthorization, Congress could seek to impose new rules or regulations concerning, among other things, customer service and consumer protection, aviation safety, labor requirements, investments in FAA staffing and resources and improvements to the air traffic control system, as well as new or increased fees or taxes intended to fund these policies. Any new or enhanced requirements resulting from the FAA Reauthorization have the potential to increase our costs or impact our operations. We cannot predict the impact that laws or regulations may have on our operations, nor can we ensure that laws or regulations enacted in the future will not adversely affect our business. Further, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to obtain or maintain necessary governmental approvals. Once obtained, operating permits are subject to modification and revocation by the issuing agencies. Compliance with these and any future regulatory requirements could require us to incur significant capital and operating expenditures. In addition to extensive government regulations, the airline industry is dependent on certain services provided by government agencies (DOT, FAA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)). Furthermore, because of significantly higher security and other costs incurred by airports since September 11, 2001, many airports have significantly increased their rates and charges to airlines, including us, and may continue to do so in the future. In addition to passenger security requirements, the TSA has adopted comprehensive regulations governing air cargo transportation, covering things like cargo screening and security clearances for people with access to cargo. Additional measures have been proposed, which, if adopted, may have an adverse impact on our ability to efficiently process cargo and could increase our costs.

We receive, retain, transmit and otherwise process personal information and other information about our customers and other individuals, including our employees and contractors, and we are subject to increasing legislative, regulatory and customer focus on privacy, data protection, and data security both domestically and internationally. Numerous laws and regulations in the U.S. and in various other jurisdictions in which we operate relate to privacy, data protection, and security, including laws and regulations regarding the collection, processing, storage, sharing, disclosure, use and security of personal information and other data from and about our customers and other individuals. For example, in the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became effective in 2018. The United Kingdom has adopted legislation that substantially implements the GDPR. Additionally, California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), effective as of January 1, 2020, which was modified significantly by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), which became effective in most material respects on January 1, 2023. Other states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia have enacted similar legislation. The U.S. federal government also is contemplating federal privacy legislation. The GDPR and CCPA, other new laws and regulations, and changes in laws or regulations relating to privacy, data protection and information security may require us to modify our practices with respect to the collection, use and disclosure of data. The GDPR provides for significant penalties in the case of non-compliance of up to €20 million or four percent of worldwide annual revenues, whichever is greater. The United Kingdom legislation implementing the GDPR provides for a similar penalty structure. The GDPR, CCPA, CPRA and other existing and proposed laws and regulations can be costly to comply with and can delay or impede our processing of data, result in negative publicity, increase our operating costs and subject us to claims or other remedies. The scope of laws and regulations relating to privacy, data protection, and security is changing, subject to differing interpretations, may be costly to comply with, and may be inconsistent among countries and jurisdictions or conflict with other obligations of ours. A number of our commercial partners, including payment card companies, have imposed data security standards or other obligations relating to privacy, data protection, or data security upon us. We strive to comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and contractual and other legal obligations relating to privacy, data protection, and data security. However, these legal, contractual, and other actual and asserted obligations may be interpreted and applied in new ways and/or in manners that are inconsistent, and may conflict with other obligations or our practices. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with laws or regulations, our privacy or data protection policies, or other actual or asserted privacy-, data protection-, or information security-related obligations to customers or other third parties, or any actual or perceived compromise of security resulting in the unauthorized disclosure, transfer, loss, unavailability, use, or other processing of personal or other information, may result in governmental investigations and enforcement actions, governmental or private litigation, other liability, our loss of the ability to process payment card transactions, or us becoming subject to higher costs for such transactions, or public statements critical of us by consumer advocacy groups, competitors, the media or others that could cause our current or prospective customers to lose trust in us, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business. Additionally, if third-party business partners that we work with, such as vendors, violate or are alleged to violate applicable laws, applicable policies or other privacy-, data protection-, or security-related obligations, such violations may also put our customers' or others' information at risk and could in turn have an adverse effect on our business. Governmental agencies may also request or take customer data for national security or informational purposes, and also can make data requests in connection with criminal or civil investigations or other matters, which could harm our reputation and our business. We will continue our efforts to comply with new and increasing privacy, data protection, and information security obligations; however, it is possible that such obligations may require us to expend additional resources, and may be difficult or impossible for us to meet. Any actual or alleged failure to comply with applicable U.S. or foreign privacy, data protection, or data security laws or regulations, any privacy or security standards imposed by our commercial partners, or any other actual or asserted obligations relating to privacy, data protection, or information security, may result in claims, regulatory investigations and proceedings, private litigation and proceedings, and other liability, all of which may adversely affect our reputation, business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our business and results of operations are significantly impacted by general world-wide economic conditions, including any future economic downturns. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic and associated decline in economic activity and increase in unemployment levels had a severe and prolonged effect on the global economy generally and, in turn, resulted in a prolonged period of depressed demand for air travel in general. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced a significant decrease in demand for air travel and reduced load capacity on flights. For the three months ended March 31, 2024, our passenger revenue was $583.4 million, up approximately $34.9 million compared to 2023, but down $17.9 million, or 3.0% from the pre-pandemic period in 2019. Across our business and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have faced operational challenges, including continued delay in the recovery of international travel. Our business depends on the demand for travel to, from and within the Hawaiian Islands and such demand for discretionary air travel remains unpredictable. Further deterioration or instability in demand, including resulting from any future pandemic or other public health related travel restrictions, recommendations or other impacts on travel behavior, such as those that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing economic uncertainty or recession may result in sustained reduction in our passenger traffic and/or increased competitive pressure on fares in the markets we serve, which could continue to negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition. There can be no assurance that we will be able to offset passenger revenue reductions with other revenue, by reducing our costs or by seeking financing arrangements or other programs or opportunities. We also may not have sufficient cash flows to support our debt obligations, on which more detail is provided in Note 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. In addition, a rapid economic expansion following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant inflationary pressures and volatility in certain currencies, which have increased our costs for aircraft fuel, wages and other goods and services we require to operate our business. In 2023, concerns arose with respect to the financial condition of certain banking institutions in the United States, in particular those with exposure to certain types of depositors and large portfolios of investment securities. In March 2023, both Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank (Signature) entered receivership. While we do not maintain accounts with either SVB or Signature, we maintain our cash at other financial institutions in balances that exceed the current Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limits. If more banks and financial institutions experience financial hardship, enter receivership or become insolvent in the future due to financial conditions affecting the banking system and financial markets, our ability to access our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments may be threatened and could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Our financial results have been and may continue to be adversely affected by factors outside our control, including, but not limited to, flight cancellations, significant delays in operations, and facility disruptions. Our principal base of operations is in Hawai'i and a significant interruption or disruption in service has had and may continue to have a serious impact on our business and results of operations. In addition to international health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis, have in the past and may again impact the demand for transportation in the markets in which we operate.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, our business had been expanding internationally with an increasing percentage of our passenger revenue generated from our International routes. The fluctuation of the U.S. dollar relative to foreign currencies can significantly affect our results of operations and financial condition. For example, the value of the Japanese Yen has experienced significant volatility versus the U.S. dollar recently. Any weakening of the Japanese Yen relative to the U.S. dollar causes our flights, and travel in general, from Japan to Hawai'i to become more expensive to customers in Japan, which has and could continue to negatively impact our business. To manage the effects of fluctuating exchange rates, we periodically enter into foreign currency forward contracts and execute payment of expenditures in those locations in local currency. As of March 31, 2024, we have Japanese Yen denominated debt totaling $111.4 million. If our business continues to expand internationally, there is no assurance that these agreements will protect us against foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations during unfavorable market conditions or that our counterparties will be able to perform under these hedge arrangements. See Item 7A "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 for further information regarding our exposure to foreign currency exchange rates.

We consider our intellectual property rights, particularly our brand and its associated trademarks, to be valuable assets. We protect our intellectual property rights through a combination of trademark, copyright and other forms of legal protection, contractual agreements and policing of third-party misuses of our intellectual property. Our failure to obtain or adequately protect our intellectual property or any change in law that reduces or removes the current legal protections of our intellectual property may diminish our competitiveness and adversely impact our business and financial results. Any litigation or disputes regarding intellectual property may be costly and time-consuming and may divert the attention of our management and key personnel from our business operations, either of which may adversely impact our business and financial results.