With Alaska Air Group seeing strong momentum, with a stock return of 56.51% in 2024 and 27.81% revenue growth in the last twelve months, Birkett Rakow will take over an airline with strong metrics. She will remain based in Honolulu and report to Ben Minicucci, CEO of Alaska Air Group.

Joe Sprague, who was named CEO of Hawaiian Airlines after Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition of the carrier in September 2024, will stay on during the transition. Before that, he was an executive at Alaska Airlines and president of regional subsidiary Horizon Air. Alaska Air Group has a strong financial health score and is considered undervalued based on InvestPro’s “Fair Value Assessment.”

The company’s success is reflected in its attractive 0.56 Price/Earnings-to-Growth ratio. The leadership change comes as Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines near completion of their integration into a single mainline operating carrier under one Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operating certificate, expected in the next few months.

Alaska Air Group also announced that Kyle Levine will be promoted to a position overseeing public and government affairs. He will assume the role of executive vice president of corporate and public affairs, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary. The company, which serves over 140 destinations across North America, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific, will begin its European service in spring 2026.

Meet Diana Birkett Rakow

Diana Birkett Rakow was drawn to science and exploration from a young age, leading her to Harvard University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry. Additionally, she holds two Master of Arts degrees—one in public administration and one in public health—from the University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs.

In a 2016 interview, she shared that she had initially applied to a Master of Fine Arts in painting and trained as a yoga teacher before entering the healthcare field, experiences she believes helped her develop creativity in her work. Birkett Rakow began her professional journey as a health policy advisor for the US Senate Finance Committee in Washington, D.C.

She spent over a decade at Group Health in various senior positions, including Executive Director of Public Policy and Executive Vice President of Public Affairs. After its acquisition by Kaiser Permanente, she continued on as Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications, and Brand Management.

Diana Birkett Rakow later became Vice President of External Relations at Alaska Airlines, and was subsequently promoted to Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability, where she led the environmental and social governance (ESG) strategy, government affairs, communications, and community relations.

She spearheaded the airline’s efforts toward achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, and oversaw the airline’s venture investment arm, Alaska Star Ventures, which invests in new technologies to help reach that goal.

After Alaska Air Group acquired Hawaiian Airlines, Diana Birkett Rakow was named CEO of Hawaiian Airlines in October 2025, making her the first female CEO in Hawaiian Airlines’ history.

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Since international travel is in the recovery mode due to the lifting of the COVID restrictions, airlines are looking for new routes. Cape Town is one such tourist travel destination sought by competing carriers in the US.

The airlines’ flights to Johannesburg were re-established after the documents suggested by the United States Department of Transportation were made public just before the flights were restored. The airlines were also forced to abandon their offer after it reached a dead end. All of this was attributed to South Africa’s refusal to alter the airline’s Foreign Operator’s Permit. In turn, the US Department of Transportation canceled the South African Airways (SAA).

Back in February, Delta Airlines filed a fresh proposal for nonstop flights to and fro from Atlanta and Cape Town. Fast forward to 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration accepted Delta Air Lines’ proposal to operate in the triangle route. This will be from Atlanta, Johannesburg, and Cape Town.

In a statement, David Maynier, the provincial minister of finance and economic opportunities said, “We will continue to work hard to expand ‘air access because more flights mean more tourists, who in turn mean more jobs in the Western Cape.”

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The European Union’s approval on lifting the ban on the Boeing flight marks an significant event in the airline’s effort to return the Max to service outside the US. This is following the Federal Aviation Administration granting the final clearance for the return of the jet’s service this week. 

It is reported that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s decision will carry weight on the industry as it is responsible for Airbus. European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s Executive Director Patrick Ky told reporters “All these studies show us that the plane can return to service. It’s likely that, in our case, we’ll adopt the decisions that will allow us to put it back in service in the course of January.”

It appears that Europe’s aviation watchdog’s proposal to end the grounding will be published next week. This will be followed by a 30-day comment period, and it would result in an ‘undergrounding decision’ in January 2021. 

The European watchdog will conduct its own set of assessments in critical safety systems. It is reported that evaluations are expected to be made prior to the certification process. In this context, Ky said that they have already preparing measures to ensure return of the jet’s services and that the plan is safe considering that it has been thoroughly examined, including the test flights.

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The Boeing 777x Jetliner took off from Everett in Washington and landed at Seattle’s Boeing Field. The journey was completed in four hours.

The test for the new Boeing 777x Jetliner was scheduled to take place earlier on Thursday, however, it was called off due to high winds.

The 777X is an updated version of the 777 and is the largest twin-engine jet ever built with a wingspan of more than 235 feet. It has a seating capacity of 406 passengers.

Reportedly, the new aircraft will begin operation in 2021, later than earlier predicted. The aircraft will directly compete with the Airbus A350-1000 which has a seating capacity of about 360 passengers.

The FAA has also ensured the 777x will be well inspected before they begin operations.

Craig Bomben who co-piloted the Boeing 777X Jetliner’s maiden flight told the media, “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has pledged to ensure the 777X review is conducted rigorously, while launch customer Emirates wants the plane to be put through hell on Earth.”

He added, “We are going to follow the normal processes we always follow and work with the FAA and they are going to work hand-in-hand with us.”

Last week, the FAA also revealed that they will unground the Boeing 737 Max earlier than expected.

The aircraft has been grounded since mid-March 2019 after two fatal crashes killed all 346 people on board. Since then, Boeing has cut production of the 737 MAX and it may stop or temporarily halt production depending on the FAA report.

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“We’re obviously disappointed by this decision, but it’s important to note the court did not make a determination as to the merits of our arguments against the validity of the original settlement agreement,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “This ruling was purely a matter of procedure, and in no way does it establish a precedent by which the FAA may enter into similar agreements affecting the fates of other vital general aviation airports.”

Specifically, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (DC) Circuit has denied on procedural grounds a petition filed by NBAA and others that sought to overturn a settlement agreement between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica, CA, which allows the city to curtail aviation operations at Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) and grants the option to close the facility after Dec. 31, 2028.

NBAA had urged the court to vacate the January 2017 settlement agreement on the grounds the agency exceeded its authority and defied requirements established by Congress, as well as the FAA’s own responsibility to support the country’s aviation interests.

However, in the ruling, published June 12, the court sided with the FAA’s contention the settlement agreement “does not constitute final agency action reviewable” by the DC court, and that a subsequent consent decree remains binding to enforce the city’s actions against SMO. That decree was issued by the Central District of California, and according to the court ruling, it is only reviewable by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Prior to the settlement agreement, the FAA had maintained the city’s obligation to preserve SMO not only endured until 2023 based on federal grant assurances, but also lasted in perpetuity under obligations included in a 1948 surplus-property deed. NBAA contended the FAA offered no explanation for the settlement agreement and failed to engage the public, including airport users and tenants, beforehand. The petition further asserted the settlement did not comply with the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990 and violated several other statutes.

Bolen emphasised that NBAA continues to be engaged on matters related to SMO, including a pending FAA administrative complaint alleging violations of the city’s grant-based obligations to the airport. “NBAA remains a determined advocate on behalf of this important Southern California airport, so that it may endure today, tomorrow and beyond 2028,” he said.

Other petitioners to the court included the Santa Monica Airport Association; Bill’s Air Center; Kim Davidson Aviation; Redgate Partners, LLC; and Wonderful Citrus, LLC. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association also filed amicus briefs in support of NBAA.

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Singapore Airlines(SIA) has ordered the first stretched version of 787 Dreamliner, giving a ‘shot in the arm’ to Boeing’s plans to offer a 320 seat jet on crowded Asian routes. The stretched dreamliner was among the 30 Boeing and 30 Airbus aircraft that the airline ordered. The combined value of the 60 aircraft deal would be more than $ 17 billion at list prices and represents one of the biggest orders ever placed by the airline. This deal was confirmed by the chief executive, Choon Phong. In a boost to its Dreamliner programme, SIA has placed an order to secure the first of 30 of the next generation Boeing 787’s, the 787-10X.  The order is contingent on Boeing proceeding with the project, the airline said. Boeing’s rival Airbus also received an order of 30 Airbus A350-900’s to be delivered from 2016-17. The 787-10X is designed to carry 40 more passengers than its predecessor 787-9, which has a seating capacity up to 290 passengers.

The order is seen as reaffirming SIA’s commitment to the premium and long haul market, where it has faced competition from the Gulf carriers, after it launched a low cost subsidiary, Scoot, in 2011.  SIA is facing competition in Asia from fast growing and low fare airlines including Lion Air of Indonesia and Air Asia from Malaysia, which have also announced large aircraft orders. Its Middle East competitors include Etihad and Emirates.

Mr. Goh Choon Phong said “The new aircraft will provide opportunities to grow and renew our fleet and enhance our network; benefitting customers by offering more travel options and the latest in flight cabin products”. The project was grounded temporarily as Boeing struggled to return its pioneering plane to the sky after continous battery fires saw the entire worldwide fleet grounded earlier this year. However, since then Boeing has made changes in its battery systems. It has won the approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and its planes have started to fly again after the battery overhaul.

Aviation consultant John Strickland said “Singapore has had a significant part of its fleet made up of more expensive four engine aircraft which are too big for some routes. These orders will reduce the average capacity while putting it back in the leading edge of new generation long range twin jets which will offer superb operating economics without excess number of seats. This, combined with its legendary service reputation, should allow it to recover profitability and market share”.  Like other airlines its net profit has come down drastically due to the economic slowdown, which has hit both passenger and cargo demand. The raising crude oil prices have also taken a toll on the airliner. Boeing has 890 firm orders for other models of Dreamliner.

Boeing’s shares shot up by 2% to $ 100.86 on Thursday. (30^th May, 2013)

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