HONOLULU, June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawaiian Airlines has announced that it will
expand its interisland fleet with the addition of four Boeing 717-200 aircraft
to better meet the needs of Hawaii's interisland travelers in the wake of the
shutdown of Aloha Airlines on April 1.
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Two of the aircraft are expected to enter service in September, while the remaining
two will join the fleet in November and December, respectively. The additions,
all being acquired on long-term leases from Boeing Capital Corporation, will increase
Hawaiian's interisland fleet of Boeing 717-200 aircraft to 15.
Mark Dunkerley, president and chief executive officer, said, "This substantial
investment in more interisland aircraft reaffirms Hawaiian's long-term commitment
to serving the people of Hawaii, and will allow us to increase our flight schedules
during periods of the day that our customers prefer to travel."
Hawaiian currently operates a total of 150 interisland flights daily between the
islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii.
The Boeing 717, with its operational capabilities and fuel efficiency, is an ideal
match for the interisland market. "We're delighted to be able to support the expansion
of Hawaiian's 717 fleet as the airline responds to the community's air travel
needs," said Jordan Weltman, vice president, Americas region, Boeing Capital Corporation.
To meet immediate community needs in the wake of Aloha's collapse, Hawaiian expanded
its interisland flight schedule by flying a long-haul Boeing 767-300 widebody
aircraft between Honolulu and Maui as well as by flying an additional 717 usually
held in reserve as a 'spare' aircraft to cover scheduled flying in the event of
a delay. Hawaiian will continue these operations until the additional 717 aircraft
arrive to make sure that seats remain available for interisland travelers.
Hawaiian also began recruiting flight crews and additional ground staff to support
its expanded interisland operations immediately after Aloha's closure. To date,
Hawaiian has hired 230 additional employees, a majority of whom are former Aloha
employees, and is seeking to fill an additional 160 positions, including pilots,
flight attendants, maintenance technicians, contract service and line service
positions. Interested parties should apply online at http://www.HawaiianAirlines.com.
"The performance of Hawaiian's employees during our rapid expansion over the past
two months has been nothing short of phenomenal, and a true inspiration to me,"
Dunkerley said. "We all know how important air transportation is to Hawaii, and
their dedication to our community has really shone through these past several
weeks. I want to publicly thank them for their remarkable efforts and let everyone
know that we have wasted no time in recruiting more people to support our larger
operation."
In addition to its fleet of 717s used in Hawaii, Hawaiian also operates a fleet
of 18 wide-body, twin-aisle Boeing 767-300 aircraft on 16 flights daily to 14
destinations outside Hawaii.
About Hawaiian Airlines
The nation's top-ranked airline for service in the 2007 Airline Quality Ratings,
Hawaiian has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past
four straight years (2004-2007) and in fewest misplaced bags for the past three
years (2005-2007) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer
surveys by Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian
as the top domestic airline serving Hawaii.
Now in its 79th year of continuous service in Hawaii, Hawaiian is the state's
biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the second largest provider of
passenger air service between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. Hawaiian offers nonstop
service to Hawaii from more U.S. gateway cities than any other airline (10), as
well as service to Australia, American Samoa, the Philippines and Tahiti. Hawaiian
also provides approximately 150 daily jet flights among the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: HA).
Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com.
SOURCE Hawaiian Airlines
CONTACT: Al Hoffman of Hawaiian Airlines, +1-808-388-2021, Al.Hoffman@HawaiianAir.com;
or Patrick Dugan, +1-808-741-2712, Patrick.Dugan@MWC-Anthology.com, for Hawaiian
Airlines
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Web site: http://www.HawaiianAirlines.com