HONOLULU – October 17, 2012 - Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA) has completed the purchase of its first ATR 42 twin-turboprop aircraft, and has a purchase agreement in place to acquire a second plane to be delivered in November.
The previously owned planes are being acquired from ASL Aviation Group Limited of Dublin, Ireland. Purchase terms are not being disclosed.
The aircraft will be used to inaugurate new passenger service to Moloka‘i and Läna‘i in 2013. When configured for neighbor island use, the planes will seat 44 to 50 passengers.
“These are the ideal aircraft for service to the less populated islands in our state,” commented Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Holdings, parent company of Hawaiian Airlines. “This new service will complement the B717 jet service offered by Hawaiian Airlines as well as provide the additional service that Moloka‘i and Läna‘i residents have been requesting.”
The new turboprop service will operate separately from Hawaiian Airlines. Hawaiian Holdings is currently developing the name and brand identity of the new entity.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past eight years (2004-2011) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian the highest of all domestic airlines serving Hawai‘i.
Now in its 83rd year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawai‘i’s biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service from its primary visitor markets on the U.S. mainland. Hawaiian offers nonstop service to Hawai‘i from more U.S. gateway cities (11) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, American Samoa, and Tahiti. New nonstop service will begin between Honolulu and Sapporo, Japan (October 30, 2012), Brisbane, Australia (November 27, 2012), and Auckland, New Zealand (March 13, 2013). Hawaiian also provides approximately 170 daily jet flights between the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow updates on Twitter about Hawaiian (@HawaiianAir) and its special fare offers (@HawaiianFares), and become a fan on its Facebook page (Hawaiian Airlines).
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