HONOLULU, September 22, 1998 - Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. (ASE and PCX: HA) has opened a new 9,200-square-foot Flight Crew Resource Center at Honolulu International Airport.
The new facility, which is located conveniently for flight crews at the garden level between Hawaiian's passenger check-in terminal and its departure gates for Transpacific flights, for the first time centralizes crew lounges, briefing rooms and administration offices for the company's 275 Pilots and 647 flight attendants. It also co-locates the company's Safety and Security department, improving teamwork and lines of communication among all three departments.
The new Flight Crew Resource Center consolidates what had been three office and lounge locations in separate areas of the airport. It also integrates facilities that previously separated flight crews of Hawaiian's narrowbody interisland flight operations from those of its widebody Transpacific and South Pacific operations.
The facility features enhanced electronic communication systems, including computerized information sources, schedule bidding and message systems, and real-time Internet-based weather tracking for cockpit crews.
In addition to improving communication and teamwork, the new facility will improve operating efficiency, saving the company approximately 12 percent in annual lease rent for the three departments.
At a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony held to officially open the Center yesterday, Paul J. Casey, Hawaiian Airlines president and chief executive officer, said, "This new facility represents a big improvement in convenience and work environment for our flight crew employees, and for the first time in 13 years ties our interisland and overseas operations together in one place."
Founded in Honolulu 68 years ago, Hawaiian Airlines is Hawaii's longest-serving and largest airline, and the nation's 12th largest carrier. Hawaiian's fleet of McDonnell Douglas DC9s provides award-winning service on more than 140 jet flights daily among the islands of Hawaii. Hawaiian also operates a fleet of McDonnell Douglas widebody DC10 aircraft on 12 flights a day between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland. Its DC10 South Pacific service links Honolulu with American Samoa and Tahiti.