Hawaii interisland carrier go! Airlines shutting down April 1

Interisland air carrier go! Airlines announced yesterday that it will shut down passenger service on April 1.

The airline will continue operating its current flight schedule through March 31.

If you have confirmed reservations for go! flights on April 1, 2014 or beyond,  the airline said in a statement that it will be contacting all passengers holding tickets and attempt to book them on flights operated by Hawaiian Airlines. If go! is unable to book passengers with tickets on Hawaiian Airlines flights, a refund will be offered. More information is available on the carrier’s website or by calling (888) 435-9462.

If you have confirmed reservations for go! flights between now and March 31, 2014, the carrier said it will be operating its full flight schedule until end of day March 31 and will be honoring all confirmed reservations up until that date.

Arizona-based Mesa Air Group, which had owned and operated go! since first commencing Hawaii interisland passenger service in June 2006, said in a media release yesterday that it was ceasing its Hawaii operations to pursue “significant” growth in its Mainland U.S. flight operations. The decision, according to Mesa chairman and CEO Jonathan Ornstein, was also based on a “long-term increase in the cost of fuel, which has more than doubled since go! began service and has caused profitability to be elusive.”

The statement said that all of go! airlines’ Hawaii-based employees would be offered employment with Mesa Air Group. As the carrier plans to shut down all of its Hawaii operations, however, employment opportunities with Mesa will presumably be Mainland U.S. based.

Currently, go! operates 30 daily interisland flights with two 50-seat Bombadier CRJ200 jets. It’s exit from the Hawaii market leaves Hawaiian Airlines and subsidiary carrier Ohana by Hawaiian, Island Air and Mokulele Air as the state’s primary interisland air carriers.

Click here for the go! Airlines website.