Hawaiian Airlines CE says he's ready for Southwest fare fight

Hawaiian Airlines' new CE says he's ready to battle Southwest Airlines whenever the budget airline brings its discount airfares. Peter Ingram, who took the helm at the Hawaiian March 1 after being CCO and CFO for 12 years, says the island carrier has already competed effectively for years against 3 large airlines — Delta, United Airlines and American — on its home turf. "I'm very confident that we have a cost structure that will allow us to be competitive," Ingram said . Southwest has announced plans to launch services to several Hawaiian islands, but has yet to offer a launch date or specific schedule details. Ingram said he's not too worried, saying the airline's new batch of fuel-efficient Airbus A321 long range jets and its unique focus will help it in any fight with Southwest. <br/>