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Ninety-years to the day since two Sikorsky S-38 amphibian aircraft took off from Honolulu’s John
Rodgers Airport, introducing the islands to commercial aviation, Hawaiian Airlines held festivities in the air and on the ground on 11 November 2019 (HST) to thank customers and the local community for their support through its evolution from pioneer inter-island carrier to global airline.Australian travellers can join the anniversary celebration through a 90-hour 90th Anniversary Sale from 7pm Tuesday, 12 November (AEDT) until midnight Saturday, 16 November (AEDT).

Fares from Sydney Airport (SYD) and Brisbane Airport to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) start at $790* return. Fares including complimentary entertainment, island-inspired meals, an industry-leading 2 x 32 kg checked baggage allowance, and authentic Hawaiian hospitality. All-inclusive fares from Melbourne Airport to HNL, via the airline’s codeshare with Virgin Australia, start at $990*.

Travellers looking to seamlessly experience the different sights, sounds and flavors of Hawaii will also benefit from a $90* Neighbor Island add-on option.

90th Anniversary Celebrations

Meanwhile in Honolulu, Hawaiian Airlines kicked off its 90th birthday celebrations by holding a “plane pull” fundraiser at the HNL precinct, near the former John Rodgers airport site where hundreds of onlookers gathered on 11 November 1929 (HST) to witness then-named Inter-Island Airways’ inaugurate scheduled passenger flights between the islands.

Some 2,000 people representing Hawaiian Airlines and corporate teams throughout the state competed in the day-long charity event that raised $33,000 for the non-profit Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii.

At 9:35 a.m. Hawaiian also surprised guests aboard HA1111, by making it a commemorative flight replicating the airline’s first service from Honolulu to Hilo on the Island of Hawai‘i, with a stop on Maui.

Flight attendants wearing vintage Hawaiian Airlines uniforms from the 1960s through the ‘90s welcomed 128 guests onboard the Boeing 717 aircraft.

“The foresight of our founder Stanley Kennedy to introduce Hawai‘i to commercial aviation forever changed the way we travel across our archipelago for leisure and business,” said Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram.

“Today we honor Stan’s legacy and join with our employees to say ‘mahalo nui loa’ to our community and our guests in a fun and creative way.”

Further Information:
HA1111 During the approximately 35-minute flight between Honolulu and Kahului (Maui), crew members entertained guests with historical company facts and milestones:

• Sightseeing Tours: Prior to launching scheduled commercial air services in Hawai‘i, Inter-Island Airways offered USD$5 sightseeing tours over O‘ahu aboard a six-passenger Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker monoplane with a fabric covered metal frame and wooden wings. It was how Kennedy, a Honolulu-born World War I Navy pilot, got residents accustomed to flying. The Bellanca is still a part of Hawaiian’s fleet, providing flights to employees, their families and retirees.

• 14 hours: The approximate time it took to travel between Honolulu and Hilo on ships operated by Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company, which had served Hawai‘i for half a century prior to founding its subsidiary, InterIsland Airways. The first Sikorsky flights between Honolulu and Hilo, stopping on Maui, lasted three hours and 15 minutes, and today, the same trip takes about one hour aboard Hawaiian’s jets.

• 13,043 passengers: This was the number of passengers carried by Inter-Island Airways in its first calendar year of operation in 1930; including 10,367 passengers on neighbor island flights, and 2,676 passengers on Bellanca tours.

Last year, Hawaiian welcomed nearly 12 million travelers within the islands and between Hawai‘i and its U.S. mainland and international gateway cities, averaging some 30,000 guests daily.

• A Cargo Pioneer: In 1942, a fleet of three Sikorsky S-43s began transporting cargo throughout Hawai‘i with the first U.S. Cargo certificate.

Today, Hawaiian carries not only mail, but as many as 92,000 tons (83,460 metric tonnes) of goods
throughout its neighbor island and transpacific network.

• Wahine (women) Takeover: In 1979, Hawaiian celebrated the first scheduled commercial U.S. flight by an all-female crew, who operated a Short SD-330 aircraft from Honolulu to Moloka‘i. Today, approximately 3,500 women represent nearly half of Hawaiian’s workforce.

Prior to arriving on Maui, guests on HA1111 received a copy of the 11 November 1929 Honolulu Star-Bulletin newspaper along with their beverage service. The headline announced, “Inter-island Air Service Starts,” and quoted Kennedy as saying, “The air is now yours. The Inter-Island Airways looks upon this occasion with a great deal of pride as the pioneer in commercial aviation in Hawai‘i.”

The in-flight festivities concluded with flight attendants handing each guest a birthday card with a gift of 90,000 HawaiianMiles – the equivalent to two roundtrip flights between Hawai‘i and the U.S. mainland or up to 12 neighbor island flights – before they arrived to a lei greeting and music performances by Hawaiian employees at Kahului Airport.

Those who weren’t aboard HA1111 this morning may still join Hawaiian’s anniversary celebrations online during the final week of the company’s five-week-long Social Media Sweepstakes awarding 90,000 HawaiianMiles and a Heritage Prize Pack to each weekly winner. The last sweepstakes began at noon on 11 November (HST) and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, 17 November (HST).

The Plane Pull

“The Great Hawaiian Plane Pull” revived charity plane pull competitions of the 1980s with a nod to aviation history. It drew 68 teams of 12 people who spent the day pulling one of Hawaiian’s 115,000-pound (52,163kg) Boeing 717 jet for a chance to win more than one million HawaiianMiles.

More importantly, participants raised USD$33,000 for Hawaiian’s long-time environmental nonprofit partner, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii. The organisation inspires local communities to care for coastlines through fun, hands-on beach cleanups, while providing educational programs, waste diversion services and public awareness campaigns.

“Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii is honored to be a beneficiary of the Great Hawaiian Plane Pull and grateful to the many organisations who jumped at the opportunity to participate in this unique and fun way to support our mission,” said Rafael Bergstrom, executive director of Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii.’

“Their generous support will continue to help us expand our educational outreach across the Hawaiian Islands, clean remote beaches, inspire students and community members alike to find innovative solutions to turn off the tap on plastic pollution, and allow us to share our story across the world. Through support like this our impact is reaching new heights as we have removed half a million pounds (226,796kg) of debris from our shorelines while engaging nearly 100,000 students and volunteers in protecting our coastlines. Mahalo Hawaiian Airlines for creating such an amazing event and honoring Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii on your 90th birthday.”

Plane pull competitors represented a wide range of industries and sectors, including AIO, Airport Terminal Services, Alaska Airlines, Avis, Bank of Hawai‘i, Bishop Museum, Brave Hawai‘i, Budget, Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals, Delta Airlines, Flying Food Group, Hana Hou! Magazine, Hawaiian Airlines, Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, Hilton Grand Vacations, HMS Host, Hyatt Hotels, Japan Airlines, KYA, Marriott Hotels, Outrigger Hotels, Pae Aina Communications, Pacific Air Cargo, Par Hawai‘i, Polynesian Voyaging Society, SAS Services Group Inc., Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations, United Airlines, and Worldwide Flight Services.

Hawaiian Electric Company, The Honolulu Star- Advertiser, Hawai’i Gas and Hawai’i News Now also provided cash sponsorships or in-kind support.

Teams and spectators enjoyed live music by top Hawai‘i entertainers, delicious food from local vendors, complimentary reef-safe sunscreen by Raw Elements USA, and educational displays and activities by Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii. Attendees also had the opportunity to meet some of Hawaiian’s first female flight attendants, who flew the airline’s Douglas DC-3 fleet during the 1940s and ‘50s and take a selfie next to the plane that started it all with sightseeing tours, the Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker.

Hawaiian Airlines kicked off 90-years-of-service celebrations in November 2018 with a company-matched giving campaign that raised more than USD$187,000 for four local charities in appreciation of the community support that has helped fuel the company’s expansion over nine decades.

As a destination airline introducing millions of visitors from across the Pacific Rim to Hawai‘i’s unparalleled beauty, the carrier this year also commemorated its birthday by raising environmental awareness through several anniversary-themed beach cleanups, including one last month at South Point on the Island of Hawai‘i and in many of its international gateway cities such as Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland.

*Travel Periods for fares sold during Hawaiian Airlines’ 90-hour 90th Birthday sale will be from 16 January 2020 until 29 Mar 2020 if you are flying from Sydney or Melbourne or from 20 January 2020 until 30 March 2020 if you are departing from Brisbane.