Hawaiian Airlines celebrates 15 years of nonstop service Down Under

Hawaiian Airlines celebrates 15 years of nonstop service Down Under
By Travel Weekly


The Hawaiian Airlines ‘ohana recently threw on its best party hats for the company’s latest milestone: 15 years of nonstop service between Sydney and Honolulu.

Hawaiian Airlines blew the birthday candles out on Friday 17 May, marking 15 years to the day since the airline introduced its warm Hawaiian hospitality Down Under.

“We’ve had an incredible legacy as Hawai‘i’s largest and longest-serving airline,” said Andrew Stanbury, Hawaiian’s regional director for Australia and New Zealand, noting the carrier is also celebrating 90 years of continuous operations.

“On behalf of our entire ‘ohana, I would like to say mahalo to our hardworking team and loyal guests for growing Hawaiian Airlines into a popular household name in Sydney and throughout Australia.”

On 17 May, Hawaiian Airlines welcomed guests boarding flight HA452 at Sydney Airport with birthday cupcakes, fresh flower lei and strummed ukuleles for a gate-side hula performance.

As part of the gate-side celebration, the airline gifted two complimentary upgrades to Extra Comfort.

Hawaiian Airlines competition winners

Pictured (L-R): Andrew Stanbury (Hawaiian Airlines), the Extra Comfort winners, Lee Anne Drummond, (Hawaiian Airlines) and Karen MacMillan (Hawaiian Airlines)

“Since 2004, we’ve provided our Aussie guests with award-winning, authentic Hawaiian hospitality and today, it’s our honour to serve you during this special time,” Brian Worth, senior director of airport operations at Hawaiian Airlines, told guests waiting to board.

The airline kept the celebration going into the following Monday at a special luncheon hosted by its extended Sydney sales ‘ohana at the city’s new waterfront precinct of Barangaroo.

Over a table full of island-inspired food and drinks, and some favourite local music in the background (think Keauhou, Anuhea, Kolohe Kai and Kimie Miner), Hawaiian Airlines celebrated the route’s success and offered a special mahalo to its travel partners for their contributions.

Stanbury recognised the airline’s our deep roots in the islands and in Australia, sharing the following insights:

  • Over 1.71 million travellers have flown between Sydney and Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines since launching service in 2004.
  • In the past five years, one in four guests departing from Australia (Sydney and Brisbane combined) on Hawaiian Airlines continue their travel on its flights to the US mainland, and five per cent of this group took advantage of a multi-day stopover in Honolulu at some point of their travel.
  • Hawaiian Airlines’ Aussie guests’ favourite neighbour island connections from Sydney include Kahului on Maui, Kona on the Island of Hawai‘i, and Līhu‘e on Kaua‘i.
  • Aussie guests’ top US mainland connections offered by Hawaiian’s network include Los Angeles (LAX), New York City (JFK), and Las Vegas (LAS).

Stanbury also talked about the integration of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner – an ultra-fuel-efficient aircraft being equipped with top-of-the-line seat technology – into Hawaiian’s fleet starting in 2021.

“We are currently evaluating exactly where these planes will fly, though we do highly anticipate the Boeing 787-9 to service Oceania,” Stanbury said.

“Adding the Boeing 787-9 to our existing Airbus A330 fleet of long-haul aircraft will open opportunities to launch new service.

“It’s too early to announce potential new routes, but we are excited about the prospect of increasing our network, and Oceania will certainly be part of our planning.”

You can learn more about Hawaiian Airlines’ nonstop service between Honolulu and Sydney by clicking here.

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