HONOLULU – Apr. 6, 2009 - Hawaiian Airlines today earned the distinction of being the nation’s top-ranked carrier for service quality in 2008, as reported by the 19th annual national Airline Quality Rating (AQR).
“Our congratulations go to the employees of Hawaiian Airlines, whose focus on the customer never wavered during another challenging year in the airline industry. They are the best in the business,” said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO.
The AQR study for 2008 found that Hawaiian was the industry’s top-ranked airline for on-time performance at 90 percent. Hawaiian also ranked second nationally for denied boarding performance at 0.07 per 10,000 passengers and for mishandled baggage at 2.97 per 1,000 passengers. In addition, Hawaiian’s customer complaint rate of 0.78 complaints per 10,000 passengers compared favorably with the overall industry average (1.10 complaints per 10,000 passengers).
Altogether, 17 of the nation’s leading airlines were evaluated in the study and their performances were judged using a mathematical formula based on a weighted average of 15 elements that are important to consumers when assessing the quality of airline services. Hawaiian’s AQR score for 2008 was -0.69, which compares with the industry average of -1.63.
This marks the second time in three years that Hawaiian has received the highest score in the nation’s most comprehensive study of airline performance and quality. Hawaiian was also the top-rated airline for 2006, but was not included in the AQR report for 2007.
The AQR study is a faculty research project conducted jointly by Saint Louis University and Wichita State University and is available online at http://aqr.aero/aqrreports/2009aqr.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past five years (2004-2008) and has also been an industry leader in fewest misplaced bags during that same period (#1 from 2005-2007, #2 in 2008) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian as the top domestic airline serving Hawaii.
Now in its 80th year of continuous service in Hawaii, Hawaiian is the state’s biggest and longest serving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service to Hawaii from the state’s primary visitor markets on the U.S. mainland. Hawaiian offers nonstop service to Hawaii from more U.S. gateway cities (10) than any other airline, as well as service to the Philippines, Australia, American Samoa, and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides more than 160 daily jet flights within the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com.