Hawaiian Airlines to cut ties with 73 employees following Alaska Airlines merger [Video]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Just more than a month after completing a massive $1.9 billion merger deal with Alaska Airlines, Hawaii’s top airline cut ties with 73 employees.

Hawaiian Airlines Director of External Communications Alex Da Silva wrote in an email to Alaska’s News Source that unionized positions were not affected, but that the employees who left either did not receive or declined an offer with the airline.

While the 73 workers are just a small part of the roughly 1,400 employees with Hawaiian Airlines, Da Silva still described it as a tough decision.

“We know this is a very challenging time for our team members and we are committed to supporting everyone through their career transition,” Da Silva wrote in a statement.

Of the 73 positions that were cut, Da Silva said 57 were based in Honolulu while 16 were in the continental U.S.

The outgoing employees will keep their jobs through Dec. 17 …