US container ship operator Matson Navigation is being split off from its owning company, Hawaii’s Alexander & Baldwin, to operate as a separate entity, with the separation expected to be completed by June. The split is expected to see little disruption in Matson’s sailing schedules or fleet makeup, but the company will move its headquarters from Oakland, California to Honolulu’s Sand Island, where a major container terminal is maintained. Established in 1882, Matson was acquired by Alexander & Baldwin in 1969 and currently operates a fleet of 13 container vessels and four container-carrying barges. JS