HONOLULU – July 13, 2011 - Hawaiian Airlines today completed its inaugural roundtrip from Osaka, Japan, the first of its daily, nonstop flights that will give Hawaii’s visitor industry a significant boost in arrivals from Japan’s second-most populous region.
Hawaiian is adding approximately 100,000 new air seats annually from Osaka to Honolulu and the response to its unique brand of service has been extremely positive with strong bookings going forward, a combination that is good news for Hawaii’s resorts, attractions, and ancillary businesses that rely on the vitality of tourism.
“We are thrilled about getting our new Osaka route underway, and even more so about the tremendous response from our new base of customers in the Kansai region,” said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO. “This route is going to be great for Hawaii’s tourism industry and the people who depend on its success.”
Hawaiian welcomed customers on today’s inaugural flight from Osaka to Hawaii in the tradition of the islands’
Aloha Spirit, greeting them upon arrival with fresh flower lei, Hawaiian music and hula. During the flight, customers enjoyed a customized version of Hawaiian’s authentic “Hawaii Starts Here” inflight service program, combining a showcase of Hawaii’s culture, people, natural beauty, and Aloha Spirit hospitality, with new pan-Asian cuisine, Japanese entertainment options, and special onboardproducts for the enjoyment of the Japanese traveler. The style and quality of service exemplifies the distinctiveness of Hawaiian as an airline and Hawaii as a travel destination.
Osaka is located in the heart of the Kansai region. With approximately three million residents, Osaka is a major economic and commercial center and comprises the largest segment of the Keihanshin Area, which also includes Kyoto and Kobe, and is Japan’s second-most populous urban area with more than 18 million residents.
Hawaiian’s Flight #449 departs Honolulu International Airport daily at 2:10 p.m. and arrives at Kansai International Airport at 6:00 p.m. the next day. Return Flight #450 departs Osaka daily at 9:30 p.m. and arrives in Honolulu at 10:50 a.m. the same day. (Osaka is 19 hours ahead of Honolulu and the flight crosses the International Dateline.)
Hawaiian is initially operating the Honolulu-Osaka flights with its 264-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, with plans to introduce its new 294-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft onto the route, just as it did in making the transition last week with its service between Honolulu and Tokyo.
Tickets for the Osaka flights can be purchased online at Hawaiian’s Japanese-language website, www.HawaiianAirlines.co.jp, and its English-language website, www.HawaiianAirlines.com, or by phone via its sales office in Japan at 03-5405-8761 and toll-free in the U.S. through its reservations center at 1-800-367-5320.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past seven years (2004-2010) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. In addition, consumer surveys by
Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian the top domestic airline offering flights to Hawaii. Hawaiian was also the nation’s highest-ranked carrier for service quality and performance in the prestigious Airline Quality Rating(AQR) study for 2008 and 2009.
Now in its 82
nd year of continuous service in Hawaii, Hawaiian is 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 South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, American Samoa, and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 150 daily jet flights between the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at www.HawaiianAirlines.com.