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.