Hawaiian Airlines Celebrates 6 Months of New Zealand Service

September 30, 2013

Hawaiian Airlines Celebrates Six Months of New Zealand Service

New Zealand’s only North American carrier, Hawaiian Airlines, is celebrating six months of New Zealand service this month. The airline has given Kiwi travellers access to a host of new North American destinations, through a single carrier, and stimulated competition in the market giving New Zealanders access to more choice and better fares.

Arrival figures from Hawai‘i Tourism Authority show a 77% increase in travellers arriving from Auckland in the first seven months of 2013, compared to the same period last year. Kiwis connecting to O‘ahu’s neighbour islands also increased by record numbers, with arrivals to Maui growing by 95%.
Since Hawaiian Airlines’ arrival in New Zealand, there has also seen a marked increase in travel originating from North America. The period, year ending July has seen a 4.5% increase in North American visitors coming to New Zealand with an impressive 131% increase in travellers transiting through Honolulu.

Hawaiian Airlines CEO Mark Dunkerley says he is delighted with the progress of the New Zealand service since launch.

“We are thrilled with the tremendous response we’ve seen from Kiwis to our new service. Our unique brand and the amenities available to the Hawaiian Airlines customer are helping drive more travel from New Zealanders visiting the islands of Hawai‘i or going on to one of our 11 destinations on the U.S. mainland. Equally important has been the role we’ve played in stimulating more U.S. travel to New Zealand.”

Hawaiian Airlines launched a three-times a week service from Auckland to Honolulu in March of this year, connecting to 11 mainland USA destinations, including Las Vegas, New York, Phoenix, Seattle and Portland. Key travel benefits such as a large baggage allowance (2 x 32kgs per passenger); favourable transit times and a comfortable cabin experience have contributed to the popularity of the service. In addition, Hawaiian Airlines also increased its Auckland service from three to four flights per week in September until October 11, adding four extra flights to the schedule.

Auckland Airport General Manager Aeronautical Commercial, Glenn Wedlock, says it has been a great six months for Hawaiian Airlines in New Zealand.

“The entry of Hawaiian Airlines has certainly delivered fantastic outcomes with the New Zealand market loving the extra convenience of the services, perfect connections to the outer islands and mainland USA. We have seen traffic to destinations like Las Vegas and San Diego grow substantially since Hawaiian Airlines entered and traffic on the Honolulu route was has grown over 90% in recent months. New Zealand has enjoyed the great benefits a US based carrier can bring to New Zealand with Hawaiian Airlines delivering over 80% of our US arrivals growth in the March to June period. So we look forward to rolling out further promotional plans in conjunction with Hawaiian Airlines and Tourism New Zealand.”

Since launch, Hawaiian Airlines flagship A330 has flown almost 100 times from Auckland, and transported thousands passengers to Honolulu and onwards. Kiwis have enjoyed the unique on-board hospitality, with the airlines’ signature Mea Ho‘okipa (translation: I am host) welcome featuring as central to the experience. Travellers have also enjoyed meals designed by Executive Chef Chai Chaowasaree from locally sourced Hawaiian and New Zealand ingredients.

For more information or to make a booking visit www.hawaiianairlines.co.nz, call reservations on 09 977 2227 or contact your favourite travel agent.

About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past nine years (2004-2012) 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 84th 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 nonstop service to Hawai‘i from more U.S. gateway cities (11) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, and Tahiti. New nonstop service will begin between Honolulu and Beijing, China in April 2014, subject to government approval. Hawaiian also provides approximately 160 jet flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands.

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 (Hawaiian Airlines).

ENDS

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