Alaska Airlines gains single FAA operating certificate for Virgin America integration
As an airline brand Virgin America is now history, at least in the eyes of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Alaska Airlines received a single operating certificate from the FAA which is a major milestone in the integration of the two airlines.
Other than the regulatory change, customers will find no new immediate differences with Virgin America’s dedicated mobile apps, websites and airport terminal operations still being used as normal.
The next significant update comes in late April 2018 when the airlines combine reservation systems into the Alaska mobile app and website.
"I want to congratulate and thank the teams at Alaska and Virgin America for their tireless work to get this done on time. We greatly appreciate the assistance of the FAA, the Department of Transportation and other agencies as we accomplished this major milestone," said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines’ president and chief operating officer.
Effective January 1, the Virgin America’s loyalty program integrated with Alaska Mileage Plan, and there is now a single payroll and benefits program for the two airlines.
The single FAA operating certificate has taken about 70,000 man hours with 1,500 amendments made to policies and procedures.
Changes can be seen in the cabin too with Virgin America flight attendants now using iPhones for their duties, matching their Alaska colleagues.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt