Hawaiian Airlines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hawaiian Airlines

Founded	January 30, 1929; 96 years ago (1929-01-30) (as Inter-Island Airways)
Commenced operations	October 6, 1929; 95 years ago (1929-10-06)
AOC #	HALA005A
Hubs	Honolulu Kahului
Frequent-flyer program	HawaiianMiles
Fleet size	66
Destinations	31
Parent company	Hawaiian Holdings, Inc.
Headquarters	Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Key people	Lawrence S. Hershfield (chairman) Peter R. Ingram (president & CEO)
Revenue	$2.64 billion (2022)
Operating income	-$210.0 million (2022)
Net income	-$240.1 million (2022)
Total assets	$4.14 billion (2022)
Total equity	$333.3 million (2022)
Employees	7,108 (2022)

Hawaiian Airlines (Hawaiian: Hui Mokulele o Hawaiʻi) is a major airline in the United States. Its main office is in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the biggest airline for flights to and from the beautiful islands of Hawaii. It's also the twenty-fourth-largest airline in the whole U.S.

The airline's main base, called a hub, is at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Oʻahu island. They also have another hub at Kahului Airport on Maui. Hawaiian Airlines flies to many places, including Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and different cities across the United States.

Hawaiian Airlines is special because it's the oldest American airline that has never had a serious accident where a plane was destroyed or someone died. It often ranks high for being on time and having very few flight cancellations or baggage problems.

In December 2023, another airline group, Alaska Air Group, announced plans to buy Hawaiian Airlines.

History of Hawaiian Airlines

Starting Flights (1929–1984)

Hawaiian Airlines began in 1929 as Inter-Island Airways with this Bellanca CH-300 plane.

A Convair 640 plane from Hawaiian Airlines in Honolulu in 1971.

The airline started as Inter-Island Airways on January 30, 1929. It was a part of the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company. Flights began on October 6, 1929, offering short sightseeing trips over Oʻahu using a Bellanca CH-300 plane. Regular flights started a month later, on November 11, using Sikorsky S-38 planes. These flights went from Honolulu to Hilo, stopping at Molokaʻi and Maui.

On October 1, 1941, the company changed its name to Hawaiian Airlines. They stopped using the older Sikorsky flying boats. The first Douglas DC-3 planes joined the fleet in August 1941. Some of these planes flew until 1968.

Newer, more comfortable planes like the Convair 340 were added in 1952. More Convair 440s came in 1959–60. Many of these Convair planes were updated with turbine engines in the mid-1960s. The last ones were sold in 1974.

Hawaiian Airlines started offering jet flights in 1966 with Douglas DC-9-10 aircraft. These jets made travel times much shorter. From 1973, the airline's logo showed the face of Miss Hawaii 1964, Leina'ala Drummond, who was a flight attendant.

Growing Beyond Hawaii (1984–1994)

Hawaiian Airlines started flying to more places in the 1980s. This happened because another airline, Mid Pacific Air, created a lot of competition for flights between the islands. In 1985, Hawaiian began offering special charter flights to the South Pacific and other parts of the Pacific using Douglas DC-8 planes.

A Lockheed L-1011 TriStar plane with Hawaiian's design from 1975.

Soon after, in early 1985, Hawaiian received its first two Lockheed L-1011 TriStar planes. One of these planes was used for Hawaiian's first regular flight outside Hawaii, flying daily from Honolulu to Los Angeles. This meant Hawaiian was now competing with bigger U.S. airlines. In 1985 and 1986, Hawaiian Airlines added more L-1011s. They used them to start flights to other West Coast cities like San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, and Anchorage.

Hawaiian Airlines also began flying to Australia and New Zealand in 1986, with a stop in Pago Pago International Airport. The airline also grew its international charter business and worked on military transport contracts. This helped the company earn a lot more money.

In the 1980s, Hawaiian also helped build Kapalua Airport on Maui. It opened in 1987 with a shorter runway. This meant Hawaiian Airlines was the only airline that could serve the airport with its de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 planes. This gave them a big advantage in the Maui market.

By the 1990s, Hawaiian Airlines faced money problems. They had lost millions of dollars. Because of this, the airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 1993. During this time, they cut many costs, changed their debt plans, and made their fleet smaller.

As part of getting back on track, Hawaiian sold Kapalua Airport to the State of Hawaii in 1993. They then stopped flying to that airport as they retired their Dash 7 planes in 1994. When they left bankruptcy in September 1994, Hawaiian Airlines was flying only jet planes.

All Jet Planes (1994–2003)

Hawaiian used McDonnell Douglas DC-10 planes to replace its older jets.

To replace its older DC-8s and L-1011s, Hawaiian Airlines leased six McDonnell Douglas DC-10 planes from American Airlines. American Airlines also helped with maintaining these planes. The DC-10s were later retired between 2002 and 2003. Hawaiian replaced them with 14 leased Boeing 767 planes. They also replaced their DC-9s with new Boeing 717 aircraft. The new Boeing planes had an updated design of the company's "Pualani" tail art. "Pualani" means "flower of the sky" and has been a key part of Hawaiian's look for over forty years.

In October 2002, Hawaiian started flying to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport with its Boeing 767-300 planes.

Second Time in Bankruptcy (2003–2005)

In March 2003, Hawaiian Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time. The airline kept flying as usual. By May 2005, Hawaiian Airlines got court approval for its plan to reorganize. The company officially came out of bankruptcy on June 2, 2005. They had lowered their costs by making new agreements with their workers and changing plane leases. A company called RC Aviation also bought a large part of Hawaiian Holdings Inc in 2004.

After Bankruptcy (2005–2012)

On September 28, 2005, Hawaiian Airlines started daily non-stop flights from Honolulu to San Jose, California. This made San Jose the fifth city in California that Hawaiian served.

On May 4, 2006, Hawaiian Airlines added more flights between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. This was because they were getting four more Boeing 767-300 planes. They focused on adding non-stop flights to Kahului Airport from San Diego, Seattle, and Portland. More flights were also added between Honolulu and Sacramento, Seattle, and Los Angeles. In 2006, Hawaiian Airlines was named the best airline serving Hawaii by several travel magazines.

A Hawaiian Boeing 767-300ER with the Las Vegas Raiders logo.

On July 24, 2007, Hawaiian Airlines and Air New Zealand made a deal for Air New Zealand to do major maintenance on Hawaiian's Boeing 767 planes. In August 2007, the Seattle Seahawks football team started using Hawaiian Airlines for their travel. The Las Vegas Raiders football team has also flown with Hawaiian Airlines since the 1990s. Some of Hawaiian's planes have special stickers with the Raiders' logos.

In March 2008, the airline started non-stop flights to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. This was Hawaiian's first big international expansion since leaving bankruptcy. After other airlines stopped flying, Hawaiian also began flights to Oakland on May 1, 2008.

On February 16, 2010, Hawaiian Airlines asked for permission to start non-stop flights from Honolulu to Tokyo-Haneda in Japan. They were one of five U.S. airlines wanting to fly to Haneda. Permission was given, and the flight started on November 18, 2010. Hawaiian also planned to work with All Nippon Airways.

On January 12, 2011, Hawaiian Airlines began non-stop service to Seoul-Incheon, South Korea. On March 31, 2011, Hawaiian announced they would update the check-in area at Honolulu International Airport. They planned to use circular check-in islands instead of traditional counters. On July 12, 2011, Osaka, Japan, was added to Hawaiian's network. On November 17, 2011, Hawaiian ordered five more Airbus A330-200 planes.

On June 4, 2012, Hawaiian expanded to the East Coast with daily flights to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. On August 30, 2012, Hawaiian asked to fly non-stop between Kona and Tokyo-Haneda. This would fill a gap left by Japan Airlines. However, the U.S. Department of Transportation did not approve this request. On December 3, 2012, the airline announced plans to start flights to Taipei, Taiwan, on July 9, 2013, as part of its growth.

More Growth and a New Airline (2013–2023)

On February 11, 2013, Hawaiian Airlines announced a new small airline called "ʻOhana by Hawaiian." This airline used smaller ATR 42–500 propeller planes for flights between the islands. Service began on March 11, 2014, to Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. ʻOhana by Hawaiian also added routes between Kahului, Kailua-Kona, and Hilo in summer 2014. On April 10, 2013, Hawaiian announced its first destination in China, with flights to Beijing starting April 16, 2014. At the same time, they said they would stop flying to Manila, Philippines, on July 31, 2013. On July 11, 2013, the airline signed a partnership agreement with China Airlines.

On March 12, 2014, Hawaiian announced daily flights between Kahului and Los Angeles starting May 2. They also added a second flight for the summer. They also began non-stop summer flights between Los Angeles and both Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi, and Kona, Hawaiʻi. On August 14, 2014, the airline announced direct service between Kahului and San Francisco starting in November.

On January 5, 2015, Hawaiian again asked the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the Kona-Haneda route. But on March 31, the DOT again said no.

On May 1, 2017, the airline showed off a new logo and paint design for its planes.

On March 6, 2018, the airline announced they would buy 10 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner planes, with options for ten more. Two more 787-9 aircraft were ordered on January 4, 2023.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hawaiian Airlines lost a lot of money in 2020. Travel rules, like 14-day quarantines, also affected the airline.

On May 27, 2021, Hawaiian announced that it would stop the ʻOhana by Hawaiian brand. The pandemic made it too hard to keep these interisland flights going. The ATR planes used for ʻOhana were moved to the mainland U.S. to be sold.

On April 25, 2022, Hawaiian Airlines said it would be the first major airline to offer SpaceX Starlink internet service on all its flights across the Pacific Ocean. This service will be free for passengers starting in 2023.

On May 15, 2023, Hawaiian Airlines introduced new "Leihōkū Suites" on their Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner planes. These suites have seats that lie completely flat, large entertainment screens, and charging spots. Their design is inspired by Hawaii's nature.

Joining Alaska Air Group (2023–present)

On December 3, 2023, the Alaska Air Group announced its plan to buy Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion. Both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will remain separate brands. Hawaiian Airlines will also become part of the Oneworld airline alliance. The two airlines will combine their frequent flyer programs.

How Hawaiian Airlines Works

Who Owns and Runs It

The main company that owns Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. This company owns all the shares of Hawaiian Airlines, Inc.

Business Information

Here are some important numbers for Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (which includes Hawaiian Airlines and the former ʻOhana by Hawaiian):

Where Hawaiian Airlines Flies

Hawaiian Airlines flies to many places in Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. They added their eighth international destination, Incheon International Airport near Seoul, South Korea, in January 2011. They also have direct flights from Honolulu to Tahiti, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and New Zealand.

Partner Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines works with other airlines through "codeshare agreements." This means you can sometimes book a flight with Hawaiian Airlines, but actually fly on a plane from one of these partners:

Hawaiian Airlines also has an agreement with South African Airways for connecting flights. They also work with Southwest Airlines for cargo.

Hawaiian Airlines Fleet

As of April 2024^[update], Hawaiian Airlines uses these types of planes:

Hawaiian Airlines names its Boeing 717 planes after birds found in Polynesia. Their Airbus A330 planes are named after Polynesian constellations that ancient navigators used to find the Hawaiian islands. The Airbus A321neo planes are named after plants and forests in Hawaii.

Planes for Inter-Island Flights

Boeing 717

Passengers boarding a Hawaiian Boeing 717-200 at Kona International Airport.

Hawaiian started using Boeing 717 planes for flights between the Hawaiian islands in February 2001. In June 2008, they leased four more 717s. This was to meet the demand after other airlines stopped flying.

Planes for Medium and Long Flights

Airbus A321neo

Hawaiian's first Airbus A321neo plane, named Maile, at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

In January 2013, Hawaiian decided to order 16 A321neo planes. They could also buy up to 9 more. These planes have 189 seats in two classes. After making agreements with their pilots and flight attendants, the airline finalized the order in March 2013. In December 2016, Hawaiian decided to lease two more A321neo planes, making their total 18. The first flight was on January 17, 2018, from Kahului to Oakland, California.

Airbus A330-200

A Hawaiian Airbus A330-200 plane, named Nahiku, landing in Las Vegas.

On November 27, 2007, Hawaiian Airlines agreed to buy 24 long-range jets from Airbus. This order included six Airbus A330-200s. They also had the option to buy six more. Deliveries for the A330s began in 2010.

On October 27, 2008, Hawaiian announced they would lease two more Airbus A330-200 planes starting in 2011. In December 2010, Hawaiian ordered six more A330-200 planes, bringing their total to 15. More lease agreements were signed, bringing the A330-200 fleet to twenty-two. In July 2015, Hawaiian leased another A330-200. They bought another A330-200 in December 2016.

Boeing 787-9

In February 2018, there were rumors that Hawaiian would cancel its order for Airbus A330-800s and get 787-9s instead. On March 6, 2018, Hawaiian Airlines confirmed they canceled the A330-800 order. They then signed a deal with Boeing to buy ten 787-9 planes, with options for ten more. The deal was finalized in July 2018. Hawaiian announced on January 4, 2023, that they would add two more 787-9 planes to their order, making a total of 12. Hawaiian received its first 787-9 in January 2024. These planes will first fly to the West Coast.

Past Planes Hawaiian Airlines Used

Over the years, Hawaiian Airlines has used many different types of planes:

What Hawaiian Airlines Offers

Onboard Services

The Economy cabin on a Hawaiian Airbus A330-200.

Food and Drinks

Hawaiian Airlines offers free and paid drinks on all its flights. Meals are not given on short interisland flights (which are only 30–45 minutes long). On flights to the U.S. mainland, Hawaiian is one of the few major U.S. airlines that still gives free meals in main cabin. These meals are made with natural ingredients and come in recyclable packaging.

In March 2007, Hawaiian introduced a special "tasting menu" for its first-class passengers on U.S. mainland and international flights. Passengers can choose up to three small dishes from a rotating menu.

In August 2012, Hawaiian improved its economy class service on U.S. mainland flights. They added a new menu, a free glass of wine with lunch or dinner, and a free tropical drink before landing on breakfast flights. This was different from other airlines that were cutting back on meal service. Hawaiian's CEO at the time, Mark Dunkerley, said that offering free meals was "part of who we are, and it's what makes us different."

Starting December 1, 2017, main cabin guests on flights between Hawaii and the western U.S. get free meals from the new Pau Hāna Café brand. Pau Hāna means "finished work" in Hawaiian. These meals include a continental breakfast box or a hot sandwich with a side.

On December 20, 2017, Hawaiian partnered with Mana Up, a Hawaiian company that helps local businesses. This helps Hawaiian offer more locally made products on their flights.

In February 2024, the airline announced it would offer free in-flight Wi-Fi from SpaceX's Starlink. This makes it the first major U.S. airline to offer this satellite-based service for free. This follows an agreement signed in April 2022 to use the Starlink network, which allowed the company to offer Wi-Fi for the first time.

Safety Information

Hawaiian Airlines has a strong safety record. It is the oldest American airline that has never had a fatal accident or lost a plane throughout its history. While there have been a few minor incidents, the airline has always ensured the safety of its passengers and crew.

• On December 23, 2000, a Hawaiian Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10 went off the runway in Papeete. No one was hurt.
• On May 1, 2015, a Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767 returned to the airport because of smoke in the cabin. All passengers were safely evacuated, and there were only two minor injuries.
• On May 15, 2015, a Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 had smoke coming from one of its engines. The plane landed safely, and fire engines put out the fire. No one was hurt.
• On August 13, 2018, a Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A321neo had a minor tailstrike when landing in Los Angeles. All 197 passengers were safe.
• On August 22, 2019, an Airbus A321neo flying from Oakland to Honolulu had smoke in the cabin. The plane landed safely. Seven people were checked at the hospital for smoke inhalation, but there were no serious injuries. Hawaiian Airlines believed it was caused by a "faulty engine seal."
• On December 18, 2022, a Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330-200 faced strong turbulence before landing in Honolulu. Some passengers were injured, but all received care, and the plane landed safely.

See also

In Spanish: Hawaiian Airlines para niños

• List of airlines of Hawaii
• Hana Hou!, Hawaiian's in-flight magazine
• Air transportation in the United States