Hawaiian Airlines Celebrates 30 Years Serving American Samoa
Airline's Team K?kua volunteers celebrate service by raising proceeds and providing carpentry repairs for community's Hope House
HONOLULU, Oct. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawaiian Airlines has reached a new milestone today as it celebrates 30 years since launching its non-stop service between Honolulu and Pago Pago, American Samoa. The airline is the only major carrier to serve American Samoa.
The departure of Flight HA 465 was preceded by festivities at the boarding gate at Honolulu International Airport (HNL) that included live Hawaiian music and presentation of kukui nut lei to more than 200 guests boarding the flight. A Samoan speaking crew serviced the flight, including employees who have worked on Hawaiian Airlines' Pago Pago route since its launch.
"We have proudly served American Samoa for three decades, reuniting friends and families, and catering to the travel needs of Pago Pago's community," said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian Airlines president and chief executive officer. "The consistent and reliable service we have provided over the years demonstrates our strong commitment to American Samoa, and we look forward to continuing to serve this very special region of the South Pacific that has strong cultural ties to our Hawaiian Islands."
Hawaiian Airlines launched regularly scheduled non-stop service between Honolulu and Pago Pago in October 1984, operating on a DC-8 aircraft, after other airlines entered and left the market. The airline flies twice weekly between Pago Pago and Honolulu on Mondays and Fridays operating on a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, contributing nearly 55,000 seats to both Pago Pago and Honolulu travel markets each year. A third weekly flight is added seasonally during summer and winter.
Hawaiian Airlines is also giving back to the American Samoa community in celebration of its Pago Pago route's 30th anniversary. This month, more than 500 articles of clothing and household items were collected by company employees and donated to the thrift shop at Hope House, a convalescent home in American Samoa that caters to elderly and disabled patients. Additionally, a group of more than 40 employees from the airline's Team Kōkua volunteer brigade will also be providing carpentry repairs to the convalescent home on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The 30th anniversary of Hawaiian Airlines' Pago Pago route coincides with a series of celebrations leading up to the airline's 85th anniversary on Nov. 11, 2014. In September, Hawaiian Airlines unveiled a memorial wall at Kahului Airport honoring Capt. James Bertram Hogg, the pilot whose name was used for the airport's three-letter code (OGG). The event kicked off a three-month-long celebration and continued with an all-day community event in early October at at the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii in Hilo, the airline's first destination. Throughout the month of November, Hawaiian Airlines Team Kōkua will be participating in statewide community service projects on the islands of Hawai'i, Maui, O'ahu and Kaua'i, restoring agricultural and historical sites.
For more information about Hawaiian Airlines' Pago Pago service or 85th anniversary, visit www.HawaiianAirlines.com.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 10 years (2004-2013) 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 85th 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 non-stop service to Hawai'i from more U.S. gateway cities (11) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 160 jet flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands, with a total of more than 200 daily flights system-wide.
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.
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SOURCE Hawaiian Airlines
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