Story ID: 
Republic’s Hawaii Venture Advances
By: Gregory Polek
Caption: Republic Airlines injected another $2.5 million into its partnership with Hawaii’s Mokulele Airlines on May 1 and this month plans to send a fourth Embraer
Word Count: 147
Republic Airlines injected another $2.5 million into its partnership with Hawaii’s Mokulele Airlines on May 1 and this month plans to send a fourth Embraer E170 to the islands as it stages a more serious effort to raise its profile in the market. This past March Republic demoted former Mokulele CEO Bill Boyer to head of sales and marketing and installed its own vice president for strategic alliances, Scott Durgin, as interim CEO. Republic became half owner in the company, which also flies four Cessna Caravans, when it converted into equity $3 million of an $8 million loan to the Hawaiian airline and invested another $3 million in cash. “We are fully committed to the Mokulele operation,” said Republic CEO Bryan Bedford last month. “We’re very encouraged by the revenue build that we’re seeing and the traction that we’re gaining with airline partners, distribution channels and the wholesalers.”