Hawaiian Airlines today distributed $31 million in profit sharing and performance bonuses to employees to recognize their contributions toward the carrier’s “exceptional performance” in 2018.

The payout, which went to 7,100 employees, represents more than 11 percent of Hawaiian’s adjusted net income of $274.8 million last year.

Peter Ingram, president and CEO Of Hawaiian Airlines, said the carrier is headed into the second quarter of 2019 with 7,271 employees “whose passion and work ethic” have positioned the company to “grow stronger in 2019 and beyond.”

“Our people are the heart of Hawaiian. This year was not without challenges, including devastating volcanic activity and flooding,” Ingram said in a statement. “Through it all, our employees welcomed a record 11.8 million guests with our signature Hawaiian hospitality and leading punctuality, volunteered to support our communities, and worked to solidify our company’s future.”

Hawaiian’s announcement comes as the carrier gets ready to face additional challenges in 2019. The carrier’s competitor, Southwest Airlines, has made Hawaii the focus of its year, and there’s still competition from Alaska Airlines, which entered Hawaii’s transpacific market in 20o7.

Both carriers also were positioned to reward employees in 2019. In January, employees of Alaska Air Group companies Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air announced that it was providing employees with $136 million in combined monthly, annual and one-time bonuses. Alaska has about 22,000 employees.

In February, Southwest announced that it would share $544 million with employees through its profit sharing plan. Southwest’s payout based on 2018 performance was the third highest in the company’s history. Southwest has more than 58,000 employees.

Southwest started sales for the Hawaii market on Monday, and will start service March 17. The announcement, in the short term, will surely bring airline price wars and favorable fares for consumers. It also renews competition in the interisland market and adds air-seat capacity for Hawaii’s West Coast market, which supplies the bulk of the state’s visitor arrivals.

But it’s still uncertain as to how these developments will play out in the long term or impact key competitors like Hawaiian Airlines, which has cornered the interisland market and has made aggressive investments in transpacific service, and Alaska Airlines, which offered another option for Hawaii’s transpacific market in 2007.

So far, none of the three carriers are showing signs of retreat and consumers are enjoying some of the most competitively priced fares for the Hawaii market in recent memory.