Hawai‘i Island Invited to Celebrate Hawaiian Airlines 85th Birthday

HONOLULU – October 1, 2014 – The public is invited to enjoy a day of exploration at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, as part of Hawaiian Airlines’ ongoing 85th anniversary celebration.  Free admission to the center will be offered to residents island-wide from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  All of the center’s exhibits will be available for viewing, as well as a special exhibit showcasing parts of the airline’s history. Weather permitting, Hawaiian Airlines will also be offering free rides on the airline’s restored 1929 Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker. 

“Hilo holds an important place in our company’s history and in the history of commercial aviation in our state,” said Ann Botticelli, Hawaiian Airlines senior vice president - corporate communications and public affairs. “Hawai‘i’s first interisland passenger service was launched on November 11, 1929 with flights to Hilo and Mā‘alaea on Maui. This celebration is our way of honoring a relationship we’ve treasured for 85 years.”

The October event is the second in a three-month-long anniversary celebration. In September, Hawaiian Airlines unveiled a memorial wall at Kahului Airport honoring Capt. James Bertram Hogg, the pilot whose name was used for the airport’s three-letter code (OGG). In November, Hawaiian Airlines’ Team Kōkua volunteer brigade will be participating in statewide community service projects.

Looking Back at Hawaiian Airlines’ 85-Year History

On Nov. 11, 1929, Inter-Island Airways (the company changed its name to Hawaiian Airlines in 1941) launched Hawai‘i’s first-ever scheduled interisland air passenger service using two Sikorsky S-38 amphibian propeller planes that carried eight passengers and two crewmembers, and had a top cruising speed of 110 MPH.

The company’s inaugural flight 85 years ago from Honolulu to Hilo (with a stop on Maui), took one hour and 40 minutes. The first flight to Kaua‘i was made the following day and all the Hawaiian Islands were soon receiving air service on a regular basis.

Along with being Hawai‘i’s first commercial airline, Hawaiian Airlines’ 85-year history of service has featured several other notable achievements, including:

• Introducing airmail and air cargo service to the Hawaiian Islands in 1934.
• Becoming America’s first federally certified air cargo carrier in 1942.
• Introducing Hawai‘i’s first aircraft with pressurized passenger cabins in 1952.Introducing Hawai‘i’s first interisland jet aircraft in 1966.
• Becoming the nation’s first airline to operate a commercial flight with an all-female flight crew in 1979.
• Being the first Hawai‘i-based airline to offer scheduled service between Hawai‘i and the U.S. Mainland in 1985.

Today, Hawaiian Airlines’ route network encompasses six of the eight Hawaiian Islands, as well as 12 International and 11 U.S. Mainland destinations. Hawaiian Airlines operates a fleet of 50 aircraft – 18 Boeing 717-200 jets for interisland flights in Hawai‘i; 11 Boeing 767-300 and 18 Airbus 330-200 wide-body jets for transpacific and international service; and three ATR-42 for its new turbo prop service ‘Ohana by Hawaiian that launched earlier this year.

Hawaiian Airlines will have four more A330s joining the fleet by the end of 2015. By the end of year 2020, the airline plans to have 22 A330s total and 16 new narrow body A321 NEO aircraft. The airline will begin taking delivery of six new A330-800neo aircraft in 2019.

About Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 10 years (2004-2013) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian the highest of all domestic airlines serving Hawai‘i.

Now in its 85th year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawai‘i’s biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service from its primary visitor markets on the U.S. Mainland. Hawaiian offers non-stop service to Hawai‘i from more U.S. gateway cities (11) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 160 jet flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands, with a total of more than 200 daily flights system-wide.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com.