HONOLULU, August 29, 2000 -- Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. (AMEX and PCX: HA), which flies nonstop to Hawaii from more mainland gateways than any other airline, announced today that it will add a seventh gateway to Hawaii: San Diego. The company will launch daily nonstop flights between San Diego International Airport and Honolulu International Airport, commencing June 15, 2001.
No other carrier currently offers scheduled nonstop service between San Diego and Hawaii. The new flight will complement six other daily round trips Hawaiian flies between California and Hawaii - four from Los Angeles and two from San Francisco.
Hawaiian will use widebody DC-10-30 aircraft on the new San Diego route, offering 28 seats in First Class and 254 in Coach, and adding more than 100,000 inbound seats to Hawaii annually.
"With roughly half of all domestic travel to Hawaii originating in California, Washington and Oregon, and the lion's share of that number coming from California, we think the addition of a San Diego gateway is good news for Hawaii tourism," said Paul J. Casey, Hawaiian's president and chief executive officer.
"San Diego is the sixth largest city in the nation, and the second largest in California.Hawaii is already a popular destination for San Diego residents. With the burgeoning economy and more than 2.7 million people in the greater San Diego area, we're confident that the market is ready for nonstop service to Hawaii.
"We have seen the benefits of a measured, strategic growth plan at Hawaiian in recent years as we've added frequency on our other California routes. With its strong demographic and economic base, San Diego is the logical next step in our growth," said Casey.
San Diego International Airport accommodates daily flights to 158 cities serving an average of 36,500 travelers daily, as well as 70,000 tons of air cargo on an annual basis.
Hawaii Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano said, "The new direct route to San Diego is great news for Hawaii's tourism industry. San Diego's robust economy is driven by its expanding high-technology and biotech companies. Those are the kinds of visitors we want to attract to the islands."
Hawaiian Airlines, Hawaii's first and largest airline, provides scheduled and charter air transportation of passengers, cargo and mail among the islands of Hawaii as well as between Hawaii and six West Coast gateway cities and two destinations in the South Pacific. The company offers daily scheduled nonstop service to Hawaii from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, with one-stop service over Los Angeles from Las Vegas. The company operates nonstop charter flights to Honolulu on a year-round basis from Las Vegas and Anchorage.
Hawaiian has won numerous awards, including the prestigious President's Award for innovation in coach class service given by the International In-Flight Food Service Association, and has been consistently rated one of the "Top 10 U.S. Airlines" by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure magazines for the past several years. Additional information about Hawaiian Airlines, including previously issued company news releases, may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.hawaiianair.com.