Hawaiian Airlines Opens New Passenger Hub In Honolulu

HONOLULU, February 18, 1997 -- On February 19, 1997, Hawaiian Airlines will open a new centralized passenger terminal operation that will increase convenience for travelers and improve operating efficiency at the company's Honolulu base of operations.

The new passenger hub, located in Terminal 2 (previously known as the "interisland terminal") at Honolulu International Airport, for the first time consolidates Hawaiian's interisland, mainland and South Pacific passenger operations into a single, integrated operation.

Bruce R. Nobles, Hawaiian's president and chief executive officer, said, "This new hub gives Hawaiian the most convenient, efficient passenger operation in Honolulu, and supports our efforts to firmly establish Hawaiian as the recognized 'destination carrier' serving the islands. For travelers, the move makes Hawaiian the easy choice for those coming from the mainland and connecting to interisland flights, while, for the company, it significantly reduces the costs of operating our primary hub operation."

At a cost of approximately $2 million, the airline has upgraded and doubled the capacity of its existing interisland passenger check-in and baggage service facilities in Terminal 2 in order to accommodate the added volume of mainland and South Pacific passengers. The consolidated operation will serve an average of approximately 12,000 passengers daily and, the company estimates, save roughly $1 million in annual operating costs.

With the opening of the new hub, Hawaiian's passengers transiting Honolulu between mainland or South Pacific points and any of the neighbor islands will benefit by the closest interisland-overseas gate connections of any airline at Honolulu airport: a five-minute walking distance between gates, as opposed to the current 10- to 15-minute walk.

In addition, Hawaiian's terminal for all flights is now "first on the airport loop," making it easily accessible. Another benefit to Hawaiian's customers is that Terminal 2 offers an enclosed, air conditioned environment, unlike the overseas terminal, which is open-air.

Hawaiian's hub features a new automated baggage system, which provides quicker sorting of bags according to destination. In addition, the airline's expanded baggage claim and baggage sorting areas are now under one roof, making baggage delivery and coordination of connecting flights quicker and more efficient.

Because Hawaiian is the only airline with significant interisland, North America and South Pacific flight operations at Honolulu International Airport, the company's new hub is the only operation of its kind there. In the past, Hawaiian had passenger operations in as many as three separate terminal locations at Honolulu International - one for mainland and South Pacific flights, one for interisland jet flights and one for interisland turbo prop flights.

The company held a traditional Hawaiian blessing and dedication ceremony on Friday to open the new facility. Hawaii Lt. Gov. Maize Hirono read a proclamation citing Hawaiian's 67 years of service in Hawaii and declaring February 14, 1997 "Hawaiian Airlines Day."

Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines, which is Hawaii's largest and the nation's 12th largest carrier, operates more than 150 flights daily among the islands of Hawaii, daily service to five West Coast gateway cities and weekly flights to two South Pacific destinations.