This August, our company faced another grim consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing travel restrictions: the separation of many employees from our company as we reduce our workforce due to suppressed travel demand. In this commemorative blog series, we are bidding aloha to longstanding employees and recognizing their dedication, hard work and passion, which helped mold the future of our company. Hawaiian Airlines will not be the same without them.
Lola Hiatt got her start at Hawaiian Airlines in 1967 as a part-time flight attendant while she pursued a teaching degree at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Fifty-three years and many flights, aircraft models, uniform designs, and memorable experiences later, she joined hundreds of longtime employees in accepting early retirement packages to help our company navigate the pandemic's financial impacts.