Hawaiian Airlines CEO on Jobs, Earnings

" Let's get to a positive story here in business Hawaiian Airlines. It's expanding its company at a time when the rest of the industry is scaling back of just what is this regional airline doing. To make sure it owns the skies over paradise we have the man in charge it up first on Fox Business interview mark I'm currently. The CEO of Hawaiian Airlines want to -- I have a terrific geo maps. So hiring at a time when everybody else does either laying off we're just not hiring at all how you doing now."

" Well we've had a a mixture of a degree of good fortune we could terrific employees of the focus on my great to have product and the to the winds becoming change who worked in our favor us things are going quite well for so I'm a."

" Okay when they're working against most other industries and sectors how is it explain how it's working in your favor."

" Well. I think we've all been a little bit surprised. At how well tourism to Hawaii's actually held up it's not. Sought a outright terrific story it's not as if the recession hasn't happened recently experienced the recession. But back compared to what people might of expected to -- vacations cut out of people -- Household budgets."

" It hasn't been nearly as bad as people Aventis -- okay it's still discretionary to take a vacation to Hawaii so so cool is that look at the profile of your average. Traveler at this point it hasn't changed in the last year."

" Well we've seen a lot of changes and last year but funnily enough one that isn't really. That hasn't really changes the profile pop -- we see people booking for relates. In the booking cycle we see people. Looking looking out of for bargains but the same made profiles the same destination profiles that are -- much but."

" I think American travelers mostly and then you have a lot of international routes to Australia sent -- for example Manila as a big city that use the Pulitzer travel to a problem."

" Yeah we businesses split both between into Ireland we fly than before in the islands of the state. We fly a lot of people from the west coast of the US to Hawaii we fly internationally as you mentioned Manila Australia -- American Samoa. We've seen a pretty good balance across our business in terms of what's happened out there in general some of the north Asian destinations that we -- I have seen some."

" Cutbacks in travel to Hawaii tourism though down about 12% but you know I look at at your stock for example it is way up off the floor the floor I think it was around the annual -- dollars. Seventeen cents today. It's eight dollars 81 cents. How do you court Wall Street -- ET just sort of put your nose to the grindstone and focus on the the nuts and bolts of the business."

" Well hopefully it's more collapse of lymphoma but the -- unit that is really no substitute for actually earning profits. Building your balance sheet organically and this is -- been able to do this here. We've got some eighty million dollars and in net profits through the first nine months of the year if you missed the third quarter earnings number correct. But the third quarter earnings number was in some respects better in some respects was we have picked income tax adjustment that have been accounted for. For a lot of that and we had some."

" Fuel price issues and some maintenance expenses tell -- about fuel right now we've got oil above 81 dollars a barrel and of course when you look at the all the complexes for the an energy picture do you how important -- to ahead should give you for jet fuel are are you behind the head of the game."

" What time of course when it comes hedging you can and they really figure that out in hindsight. We we we had like most airlines do periods normally about thirty to 40%. Of on next year's requirement ahead of time and and we do that whether we think the prices high alert frankly. We've seen such volatility in fuel in the last year and half that."

" We don't try real hard to two -- exactly what is your your hope and what do you expect to see in a year and how important do you think the -- at the end. On behalf -- say for example the Obama administration to stabilize the entire nation -- picture."

" Well I think get we're we're business -- on business and general. Is very sensitive to level of economic activity and so that's clearly very important to us. The other thing is very important to us who are our input cost of which fuel is is the largest one so. -- when we see -- from what we think about fuel assault and the absurd level of it but it's it's volatility as well. Sir for you go to write the script if it were we'd see good economic activity in general. Low fuel prices and and stable fuel prices and when that we don't have that it's a challenge for office the holidays coming it's always a big destination for Christmas and I and other significant became mock how hot and everybody wired up so -- respectable shape up for the season. I think. We have -- little people continue to shape up well. Demand has been actually a pretty stable we haven't seen any continuing. Getting worse or anything increasing weakness in demand we have for -- stability. Bit of return in demand and hopefully these."

" Oil prices going too -- it's marked on currently the CEO of Hawaiian Airlines thank you for stopping by first on Fox Business well thank you very much feeling like to tell both the good stories and the."