Oakland Goes Hawaiian – New Nonstop Service Launched

HONOLULU – With an island-style send-off, Hawaiian Airlines inaugurated new daily nonstop service between Honolulu and Oakland, California, its 10^th gateway city in the Western U.S.

The inaugural flight departures in Oakland and in Honolulu featured boarding gate ceremonies with Hawaiian music and hula, fresh purple Dendrobium orchid lei for passengers, and a traditional Hawaiian blessing by Kahu Richard Kamanu. The flight departing Oakland was also honored with a ceremonial water arch by the airport fire department as it taxied to the runway.

Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO, said, “This is good news for Hawaii’s visitor industry. The easy accessibility of Oakland’s airport and Hawaiian’s record as an industry service leader makes this an attractive pairing for East Bay residents to think Hawaii when making travel plans.”

Hawaiian’s Boeing 767-300 wide-body, twin-aisle aircraft will be the largest aircraft serving the Oakland International Airport, seating up to 264 passengers, 18 in First Class and 246 in Coach Class.

The new flights will provide an estimated 95,000 air seats annually from Oakland to Honolulu, helping to fill the void left by the sudden closure of Aloha and ATA airlines last month. Today’s flight from Oakland carried 213 passengers, while the return flight from Honolulu had 220 passengers.

Hawaiian has served Bay Area travelers with nonstop flights to Hawaii from San Francisco for more than two decades, as well as from San Jose since 2005, but today’s flights mark the airline’s first scheduled air service from Oakland.

However, Hawaiian’s distinctive Pualani livery has been a familiar site at the Oakland airport each fall since 2000, with Hawaiian serving as the Oakland Raiders’ charter airline of choice for all away games over the past eight football seasons, including to Super Bowl XXXVII in January 2003.

Hawaiian’s Flight 47 departs Oakland daily at 9:00 a.m. and arrives in Honolulu at 11:05 a.m. Return Flight 48 will depart Honolulu daily at 1:30 p.m. and arrive in Oakland at 9:25 p.m.

Oakland customers are treated to Hawaiian’s award-winning “Hawaii Starts Here” inflight service showcasing the islands’ culture, beauty and people, along with a choice of complimentary hot meals in Coach Class and the industry’s only tasting menu for First Class passengers. Hawaiian’s uniquely Hawaii-influenced inflight service is popular with travelers and has earned the airline numerous honors.