Communities
In this section
Alaska and Hawaiian were founded on a pioneering spirit and a dedication to helping others. Our identity is shaped by our namesake states, and we maintain a deep personal connection to the places our guests and employees call home. We give back to the places where we live and work by addressing the unique needs of our communities: supporting education, environment, culture, youth, disaster recovery, workforce and other local needs.
Giving Back to Our Communities
We use our unique assets — our fleet, our people and our abilities — to give back to our communities through passenger and cargo transportation, financial contributions and in-kind donations. Whether it's transporting essential supplies to remote communities, providing flights for families facing medical emergencies or supporting nonprofits to fuel their missions, we show up for our communities in ways that reflect our values and purpose. Through partnerships with organizations across our network, we invest in initiatives that strengthen the social fabric of the places we serve and create opportunities for people to thrive.
Alaska Airlines | Hawaiian Airlines Foundation
For over 25 years, the Alaska Airlines Foundation has invested in the next generation across our major areas of operation, supporting programs that give young people in underserved communities the skills they need to pursue careers and build brighter futures. Hawaiian Airlines, too, has a long legacy of giving back to the communities and islands it has called home for over 90 years. In 2025, we continued that work, partnering with community organizations across Alaska and Hawai'i to make a meaningful difference in young people's lives. A few highlights include:
- ClimbHI's annual Leadership Exploration Inspiration (LEI) program, which brings together up to 1,000 high school and college students across the Hawaiian Islands to explore careers in the visitor industry and inspire them to pursue education and professional pathways in Hawai'i.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska's new Big Futures program, which helps youth ages 13–25 build career readiness through mentoring, job training, life skills development and workplace experiences — targeting young Alaskans who face adversity and are at risk of not pursuing post-graduation goals.
- Volunteers of America Alaska's Youth Leadership Program, a school-year program launched in September 2025 that equips Anchorage high school students ages 14–18 with leadership, social-emotional and advocacy skills through a 12-session curriculum, a Youth Advisory Council and community service projects — prioritizing underserved youth and those receiving behavioral health support.
Building on this shared legacy — and recognizing our deep kuleana (a Hawaiian concept encompassing responsibility, privilege and care for the people and places entrusted to us) to the states that define us — Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines came together in 2025 to create the Alaska Airlines | Hawaiian Airlines Foundation, a new 501(c)(3) that reflects our combined commitment to the 49th and 50th states. As two of the longest-serving U.S. airlines, we believe the strength of our communities lies in their cultural richness and resilience. We are honored to support programs that reflect the spirit of Alaska and Hawai‘i, places where identity, language, and art are deeply rooted in everyday life. Beginning in 2026, the Foundation will fund programs that celebrate and preserve the unique ways of life in both states, supporting initiatives that uplift cultural identity, protect place, and preserve art and language for the next generation.
Aviation Day
For 17 years, we've hosted Aviation Day events to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals. In 2025, we expanded these events to Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and, for the first time, Anchorage. For many students, this is a transformational moment and a glimpse into careers they may not have known existed. This year, we welcomed 5,000 participants and nearly 700 volunteers who shared their passion for aviation and helped students envision their futures in the industry. In 2026, we're looking forward to expanding Aviation Day to Honolulu.
Investing in Our Communities
Beyond our foundation, we maintain strong regional partnerships and community investments that address local needs across our network. These relationships allow us to respond to unique challenges and opportunities in the many communities we serve.
Pacific Northwest
- Alaska Airlines has a longtime partnership with the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. As part of this partnership, Alaska Airlines supports the Alaska Airlines Aerospace Education Center which engages young people in careers around aviation in addition to supporting several ongoing education and workforce pipeline programs such as the Michael P. Anderson Aerospace Program, Amelia’s Aero Club and several student scholarships. Alaska hosts many of these students at our annual Aviation Day in Seattle in addition to engaging Alaska Airlines volunteers throughout the year in these key youth programs.
- Alaska Airlines continues to support and partner with Junior Achievement of Washington. We have an interactive storefront space in Junior Achievement of Washington’s Finance Park where students from Western Washington are engaged in a realistic simulation around financial literacy and work readiness. The Alaska Airlines storefront was updated in 2025 and includes airline seats and an interactive space for students to learn about and be exposed to aviation careers. In addition to Finance Park in Auburn, Washington, Alaska also supports the mobile pop-up Finance Park simulation that travels throughout other parts of Washington to ensure additional students benefit from the program. In 2025, we were also the lead sponsor of Junior Achievement’s annual fundraiser, Dare to Dream.
- For several years, we have supported the United Way of King County's Bridge to Finish program, which helps community college students in Washington stay in school and complete their education. With more than half of community college students living below the poverty line, the program works swiftly to remove financial and logistical barriers through Benefits Hubs on ten King County campuses — offering emergency grants, housing support, tax assistance, food pantries and financial coaching.
- We’ve long supported the Portland Rose Festival, which each year features a community partner on our float. In 2025, we celebrated our longtime partnership with the Oregon Zoo by featuring Grand Marshal Tula-Tu, a model of the zoo's beloved baby elephant, complete with a moving trunk to welcome the newest addition to the zoo's elephant family.
California
- In partnership with the YMCA of Greater San Francisco’s Urban Services team in Bayview-Hunters Point, Alaska Airlines provided career-readiness workshops, internships and professional training to more than 1,300 people, which secured over 300 living-wage jobs. Specific services include career workshops and speaker panels hosted by Alaska Airlines, as well as resume writing assistance, case management and job search support.
- Alaska Airlines and Rady Children’s Health, the largest pediatric health system in the West, formed a new partnership to support pediatric care through a donation of one million miles to Rady Children’s Specialists. These miles will help clinicians and staff collaborate with peers and leaders in pediatric medicine nationwide, share best practices in quality and safety and advance innovations that benefit children and families in Southern California and beyond.
- We supported Zero 800 with a donation of one million miles and $10,000. Based in San Diego, Zero 800 is a nonprofit that provides emergency travel assistance to military families in crisis. When a service member is injured, ill or facing a family emergency, the organization covers travel costs—so families don’t have to choose between financial strain and being together. Our miles help families reach their loved ones when it matters most.
Alaska
- We’re a proud supporter of the Alaska Run for Women, one of the nation's largest all-women races dedicated to advancing breast cancer research and awareness. In 2025, participation reached new heights with 361 employees joining the event and raising over $10,000 to support critical cancer research efforts.
- We partnered with the Food Bank of Alaska to support the AK Cancer Partnership's Growing Hope Pilot Program, ensuring Alaskans undergoing cancer treatment have reliable access to fresh, nourishing food. Alaska Airlines employees served as the program's first volunteers, assembling 20 boxes of fresh produce and healthy meals delivered directly to cancer patients in Anchorage. This support helped deliver nearly 40,000 meals across the state.
Connecting Communities Through Travel With Atmos Giving
This program evolved from our previous CARE Miles Program, to better align with our unified rewards platform, and expanded giving opportunities. We empower our guests to turn their Atmos Rewards points into meaningful impact by supporting causes that matter to them. Through Atmos Giving, guests can donate their points to help causes move forward — funding travel, fulfilling special requests and fueling missions that matter.
In 2025, we made significant company contributions through Atmos Giving:
- In January 2025, to assist with immediate relief efforts following devastating LA wildfires, we matched guest donations up to five million miles to the American Red Cross to help people affected by disasters big and small, including storms and countless other crises. The Red Cross relies on donated miles from airlines to help support its mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies.
- Hawaiian Airlines awarded 500,000 Atmos Rewards points to each of its 14 Atmos-Giving-by-Hawaiian partners in celebration of Giving Tuesday.
- Alaska Airlines partnered with UNCF to donate miles that help Pacific Northwest college students afford travel to and from school — a financial burden often overlooked by traditional scholarships. Each semester, UNCF selects students to receive round-trip tickets home using donated miles, with additional miles available for emergency travel.
- Alaska Airlines partnered with Dream Foundation, the nation's leading adult wish-granting organization, to help fulfill final dreams for individuals facing life-limiting illness. Through donated miles and vouchers, Alaska Airlines contributed to 22 fulfilled dreams in 2025, providing 63 dream recipients and their family members with meaningful travel experiences.
Together with our guests, we donated over 104 million Atmos Rewards points in 2025 to organizations including the American Red Cross, UNCF and Make-A-Wish.
*Source: State of Hawai‘i, Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.
Looking Ahead
2030 Communities Goals
- Positively impact the career pathways of 250,000 youth. Data collection on this target started in 2026.
- Contribute 250,000 employee volunteer hours. Data collection on this target started in 2026.