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Have we got a story for you.
It starts with two tiny boat planes and ends with 145 million happy passengers. With our new fleet and expanding routes, we’re just getting started.
History
Hawaiian Airlines was incorporated on January 30, 1929 under the name Inter-Island Airways Ltd. That year, thousands gathered in Honolulu to witness the departure of Hawaii's first scheduled inter-island flights to Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. The fleet was comprised of just two eight-passenger amphibian planes; six years later, larger 16-passenger planes were added to accommodate newly authorized inter-island airmail service.
In 1941, Inter-Island changed its name to Hawaiian Airlines and introduced the 24-passenger DC-3 into Hawaiian skies. This flying workhorse was the mainstay of our fleet and became vital during wartime operations when all inter-island traffic was placed under military control.
The advent of commercial jet service in the 1960s resulted in dramatically increased air traffic to and from Hawaii. In 1966, we added our first pure jet inter-island aircraft, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9. Travel time between the islands was reduced to a mere 20-30 minutes. The following two decades would see the addition of world charter service, daily flights to the west coast, and scheduled service throughout the South Pacific.
Our flawless safety and premium service started catching the attention of international travel publications, leading Condé Nast Traveler to rate us one of the world’s safest airlines in 1990. The awards have been coming in steadily ever since.
Today, Hawaiian Airlines carries an average 8 million customers a year and serves 20 domestic and international destinations in the Pacific region. In North America, it provides daily service to Hawaii from more cities than any other airline. While plenty has changed throughout the years, one thing hasn’t: our commitment to service, safety, and the spirit of aloha.
