Hawaiian Granted Approval to Launch Honolulu-Manila Flights

HONOLULU, Oct 01, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Hawaiian Airlines announced today it has received approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide nonstop flights between Honolulu and Manila in the Philippines. Hawaiian will be the only U.S. carrier providing nonstop service between Hawaii and the Philippines.

Hawaiian will launch the Manila service in March 2008 using its wide-body, twin-aisle Boeing 767-300ER aircraft that seat up to 264 passengers. The new flights will more than double the current capacity on the route.

Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian's President and CEO, commented, "Hawaiian is expanding its service into Asia for the first time and we couldn't have chosen a better destination than Manila. Considering the deep cultural and historic ties that exist between Hawaii and the Philippines, we are confident there will be great support for our new flights."

Hawaii has nearly 300,000 residents that are identified as either Filipino or part-Filipino, representing 23.5 percent of the state's population. Manila's greater metropolitan area has more than 10 million residents and is the Philippines' political, economic, social and cultural center.

About Hawaiian Airlines

The nation's top-ranked airline for service in the 2007 Airline Quality Ratings, Hawaiian also led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for 2004, 2005 and 2006 (including a record 36 consecutive months from November 2003 to October 2006,) and in fewest misplaced bags for 2005 and 2006, as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Zagat all rank Hawaiian as the top domestic airline serving Hawaii.

Now in its 78th 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 (nine), as well as service to Australia, American Samoa and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 100 daily jet flights among the Hawaiian Islands.

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

SOURCE Hawaiian Airlines, Inc.