Low-cost airlines

A Boeing 737-800 operated by Irish budget airline Ryanair

A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline (also known as a no-frills, discount or budget carrier or airline) is an airline that generally has lower fares and less comforts. To make up for revenue lost in decreased ticket prices, the airline may charge for extras like food, priority boarding, seat allocating, and baggage etc.

The term originated within the airline industry referring to airlines with a lower operating cost structure than their competitors. While the term is often applied to any carrier with low ticket prices and limited services, regardless of their operating models, low-cost carriers should not be confused with regional airlines that operate short flights without service, or with full-service airlines offering some reduced fares.

Business model

Easyjet Boeing 737-200 showing the phone-number livery at London Luton Airport in 1996

Low-cost carrier business model practices include:

a single passenger class

a single type of aircraft (commonly the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 families), reducing training and servicing costs

a minimum set of optional equipment on the aircraft, further reducing costs of acquisition and maintenance, as well as keeping the weight of the aircraft lower and thus saving fuel:

often pilot conveniences are excluded such as ACARS and autothrottle

no in-flight entertainment systems made available

no seat recliners, seat pockets, window blinds or seat headrest covers

a simple fare scheme, such as charging one-way tickets half that of round-trips (typically fares increase as the plane fills up, which rewards early reservations)

flying to cheaper, less congested secondary airports and/or flying early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid air traffic delays and taking advantage of lower landing fees

fast turnaround times (allowing maximum use of aircraft)

unreserved seating (encouraging passengers to board early and quickly, thus further decreasing turnaround times)

simplified routes, emphasizing point-to-point transit instead of transfers at hubs (again enhancing aircraft use and eliminating disruption due to delayed passengers or luggage missing connecting flights)

encourage the use of direct flights. Luggage is not automatically transferred from one flight to another, even if both flights are with the same company.

generation of ancillary revenue from a variety of activities, such as à la carte features and commission-based products

emphasis on direct sales of tickets, especially over the Internet (avoiding fees and commissions paid to travel agents and computer reservations systems)

employees working in multiple roles, for instance flight attendants also cleaning the aircraft or working as gate agents (limiting personnel costs)

a disinclination to handle Special Service passengers, for instance by placing a higher age limit on unaccompanied minors than full service carriers

aggressive fuel hedging programs

passengers paying charges for extras, such as hold luggage, online check in and priority boarding

avoiding using jetways wherever possible to board and alight passengers by using a mobile stairway which is a cheaper alternative.

not supplying meals in a flight, but offering snacks, sandwiches and drinks instead to purchase on board

no refunds or transfers to later flights in the event of missed flights, i.e. if the aircraft leaves on time without a passenger who arrived late, he will have to buy a wholly new ticket for the next flight.

Not every low-cost carrier implements all of the above points. For example, some try to differentiate themselves with allocated seating, while others operate more than one aircraft type, still others will have relatively high operating costs but lower fares. JetBlue for instance has in-flight entertainment (i.e. LiveTV) in every passenger seat. Other airlines are limited on what points the can implement based on local laws, such as Ryanair cannot remove window blinds from its aircraft as they are required to be fitted by the Irish Aviation Authority.

As supply increases, this sort of differentiation by brand is one of the most important criteria for the future success of low-cost-carriers, since price-competition alone will not be enough given the number of carriers.

The price policy of the low cost carriers is usually very dynamic, with discounts and tickets in promotion. Even if the advertised price may be very low, sometimes it does not include charges & taxes.

As the number of low-cost carriers has grown, these airlines have begun to compete with one another in addition to the traditional carriers. In the US, airlines have responded by introducing variations to the model. Frontier Airlines and JetBlue Airways advertise satellite television. Advertiser-supported Skybus Airlines launched from Columbus in 2007, but ceased operations in April, 2008. In Europe, the emphasis has remained on reducing costs and no-frills service. In 2004, Ryanair announced proposals to eliminate reclining seats, window blinds, seat headrest covers, and seat pockets from its aircraft.

The budget airlines frequently offer flights at low prices – often flights are advertised as free (plus applicable taxes, fees and charges.) Perhaps as many (or as few) as ten percent of the seats on any flight are offered at the lowest price, and are the first to sell. The prices steadily rise thereafter to a point where they can be comparable or more expensive than a flight on a full-service carrier.

Additional expenses charged can border on the fraudulent, such as levying a credit card charge where credit card is the only payment method accepted.

Traditional perceptions of the "low-cost carrier" as a stripped-down, no-frills airline, as seen on Southwest Airlines, have been changing as new entrants to the market adapt the business model in new ways. AirTran Airways and Spirit Airlines offer a premium cabin while Frontier and JetBlue offer live in-flight television, sometimes for an extra fee. AirTran has XM Satellite Radio available at every seat. Frontier, JetBlue, and AirTran all use assigned seating. Some airlines even have services not available on some legacy carriers, such as mood lighting, found in Virgin America.

Criticism

Some elements of the low-cost model have been subject to criticism by governments and regulators, and in the UK in particular the issue of "Unbundling" of ancillary charges by both low-cost carriers and other airlines (showing airport fees, taxes as separate charges rather than as part of the advertised fare) to make the "headline fare" appear lower has resulted in enforcement action. Believing that this amounts to a misleading approach to pricing, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in February 2007 gave all carriers and travel companies three months to include all fixed non-optional costs in their basic advertised prices. Although the full service carriers had complied within the specified timescales, the low-cost carriers have been less successful in this respect, leading to the prospect of legal action by the OFT.

Many low-cost carriers show a zero cost for some flights. Most charge additional fees for airport check-in, baggage check-in, 'handling charges', seat allocation and credit card processing. These charges are non-refundable even in the case of cancellation by the airline. Low-cost carriers regularly weigh carry-on bags, check them for size and impose high penalty charges for any carry-ons exceeding their stipulations. Ryanair requires that passengers' airport purchases fit within their carry-on bag.

History

While tour and package operators have been offering lower-priced, lower frilled traveling for a large part of modern airline history, not until during the post Viet Nam War era did this business model really escalate and take off. Through various ticket consolidators, charter airlines, and innovators in lower frills flying, such as Channel Airways, and Court Line, the traveling public had been conditioned to want to travel to new and increasingly further away and exotic locations on vacation, rather than short-haul junkets to near by beach resorts.

The first low-cost airline was Southwest Airlines which started flying in 1971.

The first airline offering no-frills transatlantic service was Freddie Laker's Laker Airways, which operated its famous "Skytrain" service between London and New York City during the late 1970s. The service was suspended after Laker's competitors, British Airways and Pan Am, were able to price Skytrain out of the market.

In the United States, airline carriers like America West Airlines which commenced operations after 1978, soon realized a cost of available seat mile advantage in relation to the traditional and established, legacy airlines such as Trans World Airlines and American Airlines. Often this CASM advantage has been attributed, solely to the lower labor costs of the newly hired and lower pay grade workers of new start up carriers, such as PeopleExpress Airlines, Valuejet, Midway Airlines, and their like. However, these lower costs, can also be attributed to the less complex aircraft fleets, and less complex route networks these new carriers began operations with, as well as the vastly less costly and freshly trained labor force.

Among these low cost carrier survivors are US Airways, the product of a merger of a low-cost deregulation startup air carrier named AmericaWest and the post 9/11 reorganized through chapter 11 bankruptcy and national network carrier US Air, which markets itself as a low-cost airline and conducts long-haul flights. Usually though, its long-haul international fares are equal to other United States major carriers rather than offering the cost saving advantages of what are normally thought to be of a lower cost carriers offerings and services.

No-frills long-haul flights

It has been suggested that the Airbus A380, able to hold up to 853 passengers in an all Economy layout, would enable true low-cost long-haul service. While the per-seat costs of such an aircraft would be lower than the competition, there are fewer cost savings possible in a long-haul operation and therefore a long-haul low-cost operator would find it harder to differentiate itself from a conventional airline. In particular, low-cost carriers typically fly their aircraft for more hours and flights each day, scheduling the first departure early in the morning and the last arrival late at night. However, long-haul aircraft scheduling is more determined by timezone constraints (e.g. leaving the US East Coast in the evening and arriving in Europe the following morning), and the longer flight times mean there is less scope to increase aircraft utilization by adding one or two more short flights each day.

In 2004 the Irish company Aer Lingus lowered its prices to compete with companies such as Ryanair on shorthaul, however they maintain a full service on transatlantic flights . Late in 2004 the Canadian airline Zoom Airlines also started selling transatlantic flights between Glasgow, UK; Manchester, UK; and Canada for £89.

Australia's Jetstar has operated international flights since 2005, when they began service to Christchurch, New Zealand. In late 2006, more international services began. Departing from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, they fly to popular tourist destinations within 10 hours of Australia such as Honolulu, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and more. With the delivery of new planes, they hope to fly to the continental US and Europe.

In April 2006, the industry magazine Airline Business analysed the potential for low-cost long-haul service and concluded that a number of Asian carriers, including AirAsia, were closest to making such a model work. On November 2, 2007, AirAsia X, a subsidiary of AirAsia and Virgin Group flew its inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Gold Coast, Australia. AirAsia X claims that it is the first true low-cost long-haul carrier since the end of Sir Freddie Laker era.

In August 2006, Zoom Airlines announced that it was to establish a UK subsidiary probably based at Gatwick Airport, to offer low-cost long-haul flights to the USA and India. The company suspended all its operations from 28 August 2008 due to financial problems related to high fuel prices.

On 26 October 2006, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines started flying from Hong Kong to London Gatwick Airport (delayed by one day because Russia suspended fly-over rights for that flight an hour before the flight's scheduled departure). The cheapest prices for flights between Hong Kong to London could be as low at £75 (approximately US$150) per leg (not including taxes and other charges) for economy class and £470 (approximately US$940) per leg for business class for the same route. From 28 June 2007, a second long-haul route to Vancouver, British Columbia was started. The company ceased operations on 9 April 2008, after over 1 billion HKD of losses.

In late 2007, Cebu Pacific, the Philippine based low cost carrier, announced intentions to launch non-stop Pacific flights from the Philippines to the United States West Coast and other US cities by around mid-2009.

On March 11 2009, AirAsia X started its first low cost long-haul service into Europe to London Stansted, England. The daily flights to Stansted are operated by two leased Airbus A340-300 aircraft. A one way economy class ticket often costs £150 and the Premium class one way often costs £350.

Low-cost business only carriers

A trend from the mid-2000s was the formation of new low-cost carriers exclusively targeting the long-haul business market, with aircraft configured for a single class of service, initially on transatlantic routings. Probably best described as "fewer frills" rather than "no frills", the initial entrants in this market utilised second-hand, mid-sized, twin jets such as Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 in an attempt to service the lucrative London-US Eastern Seaboard market:

Eos Airlines, which ceased operating on 27 April 2008

Maxjet, which has ceased its scheduled business flights, but is planning to restart as a luxury charter carrier

Silverjet, which ceased operations on 30 May 2008

See also

List of low-cost airlines

Ancillary revenue

(source:wikipedia)

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc.

IATA HA ICAO HAL Callsign HAWAIIAN
Founded	1929 (as Inter-Island Airways)
Hubs	Honolulu International Airport
Focus cities	Kahului Airport
Frequent-flyer program	HawaiianMiles
Member lounge	Premier Club
Fleet size	36 [+19 orders]
Destinations	19
Company slogan	Only One Airline is Hawaiian
Parent company	Hawaiian Holdings Inc.
Headquarters	Honolulu, Hawaii
Key people	Mark Dunkerley (President &CEO)
Website	www.hawaiianair.com

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu,the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International Airport and also operates a secondary hub out of Kahului Airport on the island of Maui. Hawaiian Airlines is owned by Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Mark Dunkerley is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hawaiian Holdings.

Hawaiian has never had a fatal accident in its entire history and is the oldest US carrier with such a distinction (the other airlines in this group have been in business less than 40 years). Hawaiian Airlines was the number one on-time carrier in the United States from November 2003 until November 2006, when rival Aloha Airlines took the number one spot, pushing Hawaiian to a close second. The airline has also frequently been number one in fewest cancellations, baggage handling, and fewest oversales. Hawaiian Airlines has been rated the best carrier serving Hawaii by Travel + Leisure,Zagat, and Condé Nast Traveler.

History

Early years (1929–1966)

A Bellanca CH-300, similar to the one which Inter-Island
Airways used for its inaugural service

Inter-Island Airways, the forerunner of the airline which is now known as Hawaiian Airlines, was incorporated on January 30, 1929. Inter-Island Airways, a subsidiary of Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company, began operations on October 6, 1929 with a Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker, providing short sightseeing flights over Oʽahu. Scheduled service began a month later on November 11 using Sikorsky S-38s with a flight from Honolulu to Hilo, via intermediary stops on Molokai and Maui.

On October 1, 1941, the name was changed to Hawaiian Airlines when the company phased out the older Sikorsky S-38 and Sikorsky S-43 flying boats.

Jet age and route expansion (1966–1994)

In 1966 jet travel started with the acquisition of Douglas DC-9 aircraft, which cut travel times in half on most of the routes. In 1984 the company began to operate charter services to the South Pacific using Douglas DC-8 aircraft, and soon added Lockheed L-1011 aircraft to the fleet for West Coast services. As the west coast market grew, the South Pacific market shrunk, and service was reduced when the company's DC-8s were retired in 1993; and when the L-1011s were replaced by the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 in 1994.

Aircraft equipment change (1994–2003)

The DC-10s were obtained from American Airlines, who continued to provide maintenance on the aircraft. An agreement with American also included converting to American's SABRE reservation system and participation in American Airlines' AAdvantage frequent flyer program. The DC-10s were retired between 2002 and 2003. The company replaced these leased DC-10s with 14 leased Boeing 767 aircraft during the fleet modernization, and replaced the DC-9s with Boeing 717 aircraft.

Hawaiian's original 1975 Pualani logo, designed by Landor Associates
and introduced on the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50

Reorganization (2003–2005)

Hawaiian Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 21, 2003 with operations still continuing, and at the time was overdue for $4.5 million USD worth of payments to the pilots' pension plan. Within the company, it was suggested that the plan be terminated. As of May 2005, Hawaiian Airlines had received court approval of its reorganization plan. The company emerged from bankruptcy protection on June 2, 2005, with reduced operating costs through renegotiated contracts with its union work groups; restructured aircraft leases; and investment from RC Aviation, a unit of San Diego-based Ranch Capital, which bought a majority share in parent company Hawaiian Holdings Inc in 2004.

Further expansion (2005–present)

Passengers boarding a Hawaiian Boeing 717-200 at Kona International Airport for an inter-island flight

On October 1, 2005 Hawaiian Airlines began nonstop daily flights from Honolulu to San Jose, California. This made San Jose the fifth gateway city in California to be serviced by Hawaiian; the others were Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco.

On May 4, 2006 Hawaiian Airlines announced expanded service between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii in anticipation of the induction of four additional Boeing 767-300 aircraft, primarily focused on expanding non-stop service to Kahului Airport from San Diego, Seattle, and Portland. Additional flights were also added between Honolulu and the cities of Sacramento, Seattle and Los Angeles.

On July 24, 2007 Hawaiian Airlines and Air New Zealand signed a $45 million contract for Air New Zealand to perform heavy maintenance on Hawaiian's Boeing 767 aircraft. The contract is to last for five years. Air New Zealand stated that this opportunity will also give a chance for them to build their expertise working on 767s.

On August 27, 2007 the airline announced plans to launch flights to Manila in the Philippines. Hawaiian Airlines said it will begin nonstop service to the Philippines in March 2008, in the first major international expansion since it emerged from bankruptcy protection in June 2005. In response to the closure of ATA Airlines and Aloha Airlines, the airline announced new flights to Oakland beginning on 1 May 2008.

In August 2007 the Seattle Seahawks announced that they would be flying on Hawaiian Airlines for the upcoming National Football League seasons. This marks the second team that Hawaiian Airlines will be flying. The Oakland Raiders of the NFL have also been flying Hawaiian Airlines since the 1990s. The two teams fly on Hawaiian's Boeing 767s to and from all their games. Two of Hawaiian's Boeing 767 aircraft have been fitted with decals of logos from the Seahawks and the Raiders. At the beginning of the 2009 NFL season, Delta Air Lines replaced Hawaiian as the operator of the Seahawks charter flights.

On February 16, 2010, Hawaiian Airlines announced that they will seek approval from the US Department of Transportation to begin nonstop flights from its hub at Honolulu to Tokyo-Haneda sometime in 2010. The airline is one of the 5 US carriers (the others being Delta, Continental, United, and American) seeking approval to serve Haneda as part of the U.S.-Japan OpenSkies agreement.

On May 3, 2010, Hawaiian Airlines was granted approval from the US DOT to begin nonstop service to Haneda, Japan. It plans to begin the direct flight from Honolulu on November 17, 2010. In addition, the airline is planning to establish a codeshare agreement with All Nippon Airways.

On June 30, 2010, Hawaiian Airlines announced they would begin nonstop service to Seoul-Incheon, South Korea. It plans to begin the flights in January 2011.

Destinations

 Hawaiian Airlines destinations

Hawaiian Airlines serves destinations in several Asia-Pacific countries and territories. The airline will add its sixth international destination, Incheon International Airport near Seoul, South Korea in January 2011.

Fleet

As of November 2010, the Hawaiian Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 12.5 years:

Hawaiian Airlines Fleet

Aircraft Total Orders/

Options Passengers Routes Notes

P Y Total

Airbus A330-200 3 13[A]

5 18 276 294 Los Angeles, Las Vegas Deliveries: 2010–2014

Panasonic Avionics Corporation eX2

Airbus A350-800 — 6/

6 TBA Entry into service: 2017 Deliveries: 2017-2020

Boeing 717-200 15 — 8 115 123 Inter-island flights

Boeing 767-300 4 — 18 246 264 Hawaii to U.S. mainland

Boeing 767-300ER 14 — 18

18

18 234

241

246 252

259

264 Transpacific and South Pacific flights Seven equipped with winglets

A 3 lease orders.

Retired

Throughout its history, Hawaiian Airlines has operated a diverse range of aircraft including the following aircraft:

Hawaiian Airlines Retired Fleet

Aircraft Total Year acquired Year retired Notes

Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker 1 1929 1933 Re-acquired in 2009 and restored to 1929 condition 

Sikorsky S-38 4 1929 1942 1 converted to an air freighter and used during World War II

Sikorsky S-43 4 1935 1946 2 converted to air freighters and used during World War II

Douglas DC-3 13 1941 1966

Beechcraft 18 1 1947 (?) Used for charter flights and pilot training

Convair CV-340 13 1953 1973 All aircraft originally delivered as CV-340s

Later upgraded to CV-440 and CV-640 standards

Douglas DC-6 4 1958 1969(?)

Vickers Viscount 2 1963 1964

NAMC YS-11 3 1966 1967

McDonnell Douglas DC-9-10 5 1966 1971

McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 12 1968 (?)

McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 22 1975 2001

Shorts 330 3 1978 1980

McDonnell Douglas MD-81 5 1981 1990

de Havilland Canada Dash 7 6 1981 1994

Douglas DC-8 3 1983 1993 2 DC-8-62 models, 1 DC-8-63

Lockheed L-1011 5 1985 1994

McDonnell Douglas DC-10 14 1994 2003

Long haul fleet renewal

On November 27, 2007, Hawaiian Airlines signed a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Airbus for 24 long-range jets priced at $4.4 billion. The order includes six Airbus A330-200s with a further six purchase rights; and six Airbus A350-800s with a further six purchase rights. Deliveries for the A330s begin in 2010 while the first A350 will be delivered in 2017.

 Mark Dunkerley, President and CEO of the airline has stated that the addition of the A330 aircraft will finally make nonstop flights to the U.S. East Coast economically feasible, as the current Boeing 767s face weight penalties during parts of the year.

These new Airbus A330s will be equipped with Panasonic Avionics Corporation's new eX2 in-seat audio/video-on-demand in-flight entertainment system.

On October 27, 2008, Hawaiian announced that prior to the arrival of its new A330s, it would lease two additional Airbus A330-200 aircraft from AWAS beginning in 2011, at the same time extending the leases of two Boeing 767-300ER aircraft from AWAS to 2011 (to be withdrawn from service coincident with the delivery of the A330s). Two weeks later, the airline announced the lease of an additional A330-200 from CIT Aerospace for delivery in 2010 and that one of the A330s coming from AWAS would also be delivered in 2010. On March 9, 2010, the airline announced that it had converted one of its purchase rights into an order scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2011.

Fleet adjustments following Aloha Airlines and ATA shutdowns

Shortly after the Aloha Airlines shutdown, Hawaiian used one of its Boeing 767-300ER wide-body aircraft (normally used for trans-pacific flights), for several inter-island flights (which Hawaiian normally uses its narrow-body Boeing 717) due to the large number of stranded Aloha passengers needing flights to the other Hawaiian islands.

A Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767-300, christened "Akohekohe", similar to the one used to transport stranded Aloha Airlines and ATA passnegers

On April 30, 2008, Hawaiian's President and CEO commented during a quarterly conference call that Hawaiian Airlines was in talks to acquire additional aircraft to meet demand due to the shutdown of Aloha Airlines' passenger operations and the closing of ATA Airlines. No firm agreements had been signed, but two options were given for the inter-island fleet: Leasing additional 717s from existing lessors or leasing McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft on short-term leases. If the MD-80 had been chosen, it would have been the second time Hawaiian Airlines used that aircraft in its history. Hawaiian previously flew a small number of MD-80 aircraft during the 1980s. Also mentioned was a letter of intent for the acquisition of an additional Boeing 767-300ER to join the fleet.

On June 4, 2008, the airline announced that it had agreed to lease an additional four 717s from Boeing Capital, with deliveries between September and the end of 2008.

HawaiianMiles

HawaiianMiles is Hawaiian Airlines' frequent-flyer program. Miles accumulated in the program allow members to redeem tickets, upgrade service class, or obtain free or discounted car rentals, hotel stays, merchandise, or other products and services through partners. The most active members, based on the amount and price of travel booked, are designated Pualani Gold and Pualani Platinum, with privileges such as separate check-in, priority upgrade and standby processing, or complimentary upgrades.

Some customers have earned Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Blue frequent-flyer miles for transpacific Hawaiian Airlines flights. Other customers have been told that transpacific Hawaiian Airlines flights can only credit "HawaiianMiles" accounts.

Air miles with the remaining airlines are offered only for inter-island Hawaiian Airlines flights:

HawaiianMiles Airline Partnerships

Airline Program Earn partner miles

for Hawaiian flights Earn HawaiianMiles

for partner flights

American Airlines AAdvantage Yes No

Continental Airlines OnePass Yes Yes

Delta Air Lines SkyMiles Yes Yes

Island Air Cloud 9 No Yes

United Airlines Mileage Plus Yes No

US Airways Dividend Miles Yes No

Virgin Atlantic Airways Flying Club Yes Yes

Virgin Blue Velocity Rewards Yes No

Hawaiian Airlines stock

Hawaiian Airlines trades under parent company Hawaiian Holdings under the NASDAQ Global Market stock symbol HA. Previously listed on the American Stock Exchange, the company moved to NASDAQ on June 2, 2008. Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. is a holding company whose primary asset is the sole ownership of all issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. On June 30, 2008, the company announced that it had been added to the Russell 3000 Index.

]In-flight services

Hawaiian provides complimentary and paid beverage service on all of its flights. Meals are not provided on interisland flights due to their short length (30–40 minutes). On its U.S. mainland and international flights, Hawaiian is one of the only major U.S. airlines to still provide complimentary meals in its main cabin (coach class); each meal is made with no preservatives, all-natural ingredients and packaged with recyclable materials. In 2009, Hawaiian introduced premium meals in its main cabin, giving passengers the option of having the complimentary meal or paying to upgrade to a premium meal. The premium meals consist of a variety of high end Asian cuisine, among others.

In March 2007, Hawaiian introduced a "tasting menu" or "tapas menu" for its first class passengers on its U.S. mainland and international flights. The menu consists of twenty entrees set on a rotation, with five available on any given flight. Passengers are provided information on the available entrees for their flight when they board, or shortly after takeoff, and may choose up to three entrees as part of their inflight meal.

On Boeing 767 aircraft, Hawaiian offers DigE Player portable video players for rent, in addition to movies shown on overhead projection screens. Airbus A330 aircraft are equipped with on-demand units built-in to every seatback.

(source:wikipedia)

Honolulu International Airport

Honolulu International Airport
IATA: HNL – ICAO: PHNL – FAA LID: HNL HNL Location of the Honolulu International Airport
Summary
Airport type		Public / Military
Owner		State of Hawaii
Operator		Department of Transportation
Location		Honolulu, Hawaii
Hub for		Aloha Air Cargo Go! Hawaiian Airlines
Elevation AMSL		13 ft / 4 m
Website		hawaii.gov/hnl
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
4L/22R	6,952	2,119	Asphalt
4R/22L	9,000	2,743	Asphalt
4W/22W	3,000	914	Water
8L/26R	12,300	3,749	Asphalt
8R/26L	12,000	3,658	Asphalt
8W/26W	5,000	1,524	Water
Statistics (2007)
Aircraft operations			310,607
Based aircraft			206
Total passengers			21,505,855
Total cargo			389,054
Sources: The State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, Airports Division;[1] Federal Aviation Administration[2]

Honolulu International Airport (IATA: HNL, ICAO: PHNL, FAA LID: HNL) is the principal aviation gateway of the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii and is identified as one of the busiest airports in the United States, with traffic now exceeding 21 million passengers a year and rising.

It is located in the Honolulu census-designated place three miles (5 km) northwest of Oahu's central business district. Main roads leading to the airport are Nimitz Highway and the Queen Liliuokalani Freeway of Interstate H-1.

Honolulu International Airport serves as the principal hub of Hawaiian Airlines, the largest Hawaii-based airline. Hawaiian offers flights between the various airports of the Hawaiian Islands and also serve the continental United States, Australia, Samoa, Tahiti, the Philippines, and Japan. It is host to major United States and international airlines, with direct flights to American, Asian, and Pacific Rim destinations.

It is also the base for Aloha Air Cargo, which previously offered both passenger and cargo services. Aloha ceased passenger flights on March 31, 2008, but continues to operate cargo service under new ownership.

In 2007, the airport handles 310,607 aircraft operations and served 21,505,855 passengers while processing 389,054 tons of cargo.

History

HNL opened in March 1927 as John Rodgers Airport, named after World War I naval officer John Rodgers. It was funded by the territorial legislature and the Chamber of Commerce, and was the first full airport in Hawaii: aircraft had previously been limited to small landing strips, fields or seaplane docks. From 1939 to 1943, the adjacent Keehi Lagoon was dredged for use by seaplanes, and the dredged soil was moved to HNL to provide more space for conventional airplanes.

The U.S. military grounded all civilian aircraft and took over all civilian airports after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Rodgers Field was designated Naval Air Station Honolulu. The Navy built a control tower and terminal building, and some civilian commercial traffic was allowed during daylight hours. Rodgers Field was returned to the territory in 1946. At the time, at 4,019 acres (16.26 km2), it was one of the largest airports in the U.S., with four paved land runways and three seaplane runways.

John Rodgers Airport was renamed Honolulu Airport in 1947; the word "International" was added to the name in 1951. Due to its proximity to the center of the Pacific Ocean, it was historically a stop for many transpacific flights to and from North America. By 1950, it was the third-busiest airport in the United States in terms of aircraft operations, and its 13,097-foot (3,992 m) runway was declared the longest in the world in 1953. In 1959, Qantas began the first jet service to Honolulu as a stop on its flights between Australia and California. Aeronautical engineer and airline consultant, Frank Der Yuen, advised in the design of the original building and founded its aerospace museum.

The original terminal building was replaced by the John Rodgers Terminal, which was dedicated on August 22, 1962 and opened for passenger traffic on October 14, 1962. This terminal was expanded several times with the addition of the Diamond Head Concourse in 1970, the Ewa Concourse in 1972 and the Central Concourse in 1980.

With the advent of ultra-long range aircraft, most transpacific flights no longer need to stop at Honolulu. As such, the airport has seen a notable decrease in international passenger traffic over the years, particularly to Australia, the South Pacific and southeast Asia. However, Honolulu has continued to see major growth in the domestic market as major airlines have added frequent and even non-stop links to large, previously unserved markets such as Phoenix, Newark, Denver and Atlanta.

Future plans

The new terminal expansions (red) on depicted as part of the $2.3
 billion modernization Hawaii Airports Modernization program.

On March 24, 2006, Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle unveiled a $2.3 billion modernization program for Hawaii airports over a 12-year period, with $1.7 billion budgeted for Honolulu International Airport. The plan involves implementing short-term projects within the first five years to improve passenger service and increase security and operational efficiencies.

As part of the modernization program, flight display monitors throughout the airport have been upgraded, new food and beverage vendors have been added, and a new parking garage across from the International Arrivals terminal has been completed. Current projects include an international arrivals corridor with moving sidewalks built atop the breezeway leading to the Ewa Concourse. The first phase of the project was completed in October 2009, with the remainder slated to be completed in 2010.

Future near-term projects include construction of a Mauka Concourse branching off the Interisland Terminal, the first concourse expansion at HNL in 15 years. Construction of the concourse will involve replacing the existing Commuter Terminal.

Authority  

HNL's old control tower

Honolulu International Airport is part of a centralized state structure governing all of the airports and seaports of Hawaiʻi. The official authority of Honolulu International Airport is the Governor of Hawaiʻi, who appoints the Director of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Transportation who has jurisdiction over the Hawaiʻi Airports Administrator.

The Hawaiʻi Airports Administrator oversees six governing bodies: Airports Operations Office, Airports Planning Office, Engineering Branch, Information Technology Office, Staff Services Office, Visitor Information Program Office. Collectively, the six bodies have authority over the four airport districts in Hawaiʻi: Hawaiʻi District, Kauaʻi District, Maui District and the principal Oʻahu District. Honolulu International Airport is a subordinate of the Oʻahu District officials.

Facilities and aircraft

The Reef Runway with Honolulu in the background

The airport has four major runways, which it shares with the adjacent Hickam Air Force Base. The principal runway designated 8R/26L, also known as the Reef Runway, was the world's first major runway constructed entirely offshore. Completed in 1977, the Reef Runway is a designated alternate landing site for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration space shuttle program in association with Hickam Air Force Base, which shares Honolulu International Airport's airfield operations.

In addition to the four paved runways, Honolulu International Airport has two designated offshore runways designated 8W/26W and 4W/22W for use by seaplanes.

The entire terminal complex features twenty-four hour medical services, restaurants, shopping centers and a business center with conference rooms for private use. Passengers have the option of using various short-term and long-term parking structures on the grounds of Honolulu International Airport.

For the 12-month period ending December 8, 2006, the airport had 323,726 aircraft operations, an average of 886 per day: 55% scheduled commercial, 26% general aviation, 15% air taxi and 5% military. There are 206 aircraft based at this airport: 48% single-engine, 27% multi-engine, 16% military, 6% helicopter and 3% jet.

Terminals

Wiki Wiki bus

Honolulu International Airport has three terminal buildings. A fleet of Chance RT-52 buses provide interterminal transportation between the ticket counters of all three terminals and between the concourses in the Interisland and Main terminals. The WikiWikiWeb is a namesake of these buses, known as "Wiki Wiki" buses (from the Hawaiian word for "fast").

The largest airline at Honolulu airport is Hawaiian Airlines offering 13,365 seats per day, which represents a 45% market share. The #2 and #3 carriers are United and Japan Airlines (JAL) with 7.7% and 7.4% market share respectively.

Terminal

Traffic between Honolulu and the US mainland is dominated by flights to and from Los Angeles and San Francisco. These two cities, plus Vancouver and Seattle, account for more than half of all flights between the mainland and Honolulu. Hawaiian Airlines, with 10 routes, has the highest market share on routes between Honolulu and the mainland.

Internationally Japan is the dominant market. Two-thirds of international seats are heading either for Nagoya, Osaka Kansai or Tokyo Narita with services provide by JALways/Japan Airlines, Air Japan, China Airlines, Delta or United. Narita alone is served with 61 weekly departures with Japanese carriers operating twice as many flights as US carriers.

Other major international routes are to Sydney (12 weekly departures operated by Hawaiian, Jetstar and Qantas) and Vancouver (19 weekly departures spread between Air Canada and Westjet). This makes Westjet the only genuine low-cost carrier serving Hawaii.

In October 2009, China-based Hainan Airlines was granted approval for a nonstop flight from Honolulu to Beijing.It would be the first mainland Chinese carrier to serve Hawaii and the airline's second US destination after Seattle. The airline originally planned to launch the service by the summer of 2010, but the route has been further delayed due to visa concerns and landing fees.

Commuter Terminal (Gates 71-80)

The Commuter Terminal serves smaller airlines which operate flights between both the smaller and major commercial airports in the island chain.

Interisland Terminal (Gates 49-61)

Inter-island terminal

The Interisland Terminal mainly serves the interisland and some US Mainland flights and Departing International Flights (gate 54) of Hawaiian Airlines. It is designed to handle flights of jet aircraft between the major commercial airports in the Hawaiian Islands. The formerly Aloha Airlines and Mokulele Airlines Alii Lounge has been converted to the second Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club Lounge near Gate 56.

On the ground level, Hawaiian Airlines uses Baggage Claim B for U.S. Mainland arrivals; Baggage Claim C is used for interisland arrivals. Flights on Hawaiian, coming from Papeete, Pago Pago, and Manila, use the International Arrivals Baggage Claim located in the Main Terminal. Mokulele Airlines and Aloha Airlines used to use Baggage Claim C.

Main Terminal (Gates 6-34)

Main overseas terminal's departure area

The Main Overseas Terminal serves U.S domestic and international destinations. All boarding gates in the Main Overseas Terminal at Honolulu International are common use, shared among all airlines, and may change daily as the need arises. No gates are assigned to any specific airline.

On February 5, 2007, the Hawaii State Department of Transportation announced a plan to construct a $45 million international arrivals corridor to connect the third floor of the Ewa Concourse directly to the International Arrivals Building and the rest of the airport. Construction began in 2008. The first phase opened on October 15, 2009, while the entire project is expected to be complete in 2011.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations	Lobby
Air Canada	Vancouver Seasonal : Calgary	4
Air New Zealand	Auckland	4
Air Pacific	Apia, Kiritimati, Nadi	4
Alaska Airlines	Anchorage, Bellingham [begins January 7], Portland (OR), Seattle/Tacoma	4
All Nippon Airwaysoperated by Air Japan	Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita	4
American Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, San Francisco	7
China Airlines	Taipei-Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita	4
Continental Airlines	Houston-Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Newark Seasonal : Orange County	7
Continental Airlines operated by Continental Micronesia	Chuuk, Guam, Kosrae, Kwajalein, Majuro, Nadi, Pohnpei	7
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul [ends February 21], Osaka-Kansai, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Tokyo-Narita Seasonal: Nagoya-Centrair	4
go! Mokulele operated by Mesa Airlines	Hilo, Kahului, Kona, Lihue	1
Hawaiian Airlines	Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Manila, Oakland, Pago Pago, Papeete, Phoenix, Portland (OR), Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), Seattle/Tacoma, Seoul-Incheon [begins January 12],Sydney	2
Hawaiian Airlines	Hilo, Kahului, Kona, Lihue, Tokyo-Haneda	3
Island Air	Kahului, Kapalua, Lanaʻi, Lihue, Molokaʻi	1
Japan Airlines	Nagoya-Centrair, Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita	5
Jetstar Airways	Sydney	4
Korean Air	Seoul-Incheon	4
Mokulele Express operated by Mokulele Airlines	Lanaʻi,  Molokaʻi	1
Omni Air International	Las Vegas	6
Pacific Wings	Kalaupapa, Molokaʻi	1
Philippine Airlines	Manila	4
Qantas	Sydney	4
United Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo-Narita	8
US Airways	Phoenix	6
WestJet	Vancouver Seasonal : Calgary, Victoria (BC)	4

Cities with direct international passenger airlinks with Honolulu International Airport

Scheduled cargo services

Airlines	Destinations
Aloha Air Cargo	Kahului, Kauai, Kona, Hilo
Asia Pacific Airlines (Guam)	Guam, Kiritimati, Kwajalein, Majuro, Pago Pago, Pohnpei
Corporate Air	Hoolehua, Kalaupaga, Kamuela, Kapalua, Kauai, Lanai
FedEx Express	Guam, Hilo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Memphis, Oakland, Sydney
Kalitta Air	Hong Kong, Los Angeles
UPS Airlines	Hong Kong, Long Beach, Louisville, Kahului, Kona, Ontario, Sydney

Castle & Cooke Aviation

Castle & Cooke Aviation is a fixed base operator providing general aviation services located along Lagoon Drive. Its facility is used as the departure and arrival terminal for weekly charter flights to Kiritimati.

Airlines Destinations

Te Mauri Travel operated by Maritime Air Charters Kiritimati

Public transport

TheBus routes 19, 20, and 31 stop on the upper (departure) level of the airport. Routes 19 and 20 connect the airport to Pearlridge Center (20 only), Hickam AFB (19 only), Downtown Honolulu, Ala Moana Center, and Waikiki. Route 31 connects the airport to Tripler Army Medical Center, via Kalihi Transit Center. Routes 9, 40, 40A, 42, and 62 run on Nimitz Highway within walking distance of the airport.

Accidents and incidents

There have been three major air traffic incidents that caused air traffic controllers and federal emergency officials at Honolulu International Airport to be placed on emergency alert. All three resulted in fatalities, and one involved a global terrorist plot that some consider a precursor to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Vickers Viscount N7410 of Aloha Airlines was damaged beyond repair when it collided on the ground with Douglas DC-9-31 N906H of Hawaiian Airlines on 27 June 1969.

On 8 August 1971, Vickers Viscount N7415 of Aloha Airlines was damaged beyond economic repair when a fire broke out upon landing.

Pan Am Flight 830: a bomb exploded aboard as the aircraft prepared for approach to Honolulu International Airport from Tokyo on August 11, 1982. One teenager was killed and 15 others were injured. The aircraft did not disintegrate, and made a safe emergency landing in Honolulu.

Aloha Airlines Flight 243 after landing at Kahului Airport, 1988

Aloha Airlines Flight 243: flying from Hilo to Honolulu International Airport on April 28, 1988, experienced a rapid decompression. An 18-foot-long (5.5 m) section of the fuselage roof and sides were torn from the airplane, due to metal fatigue. Out of the 89 passengers and 6 crew members, the only fatality was a flight attendant blown out of the airplane. Several passengers sustained life-threatening injuries. The aircraft diverted to Kahului Airport.

United Airlines Flight 811: a Boeing 747 carrying 3 flight crew, 15 cabin crew and 337 passengers from Honolulu to Auckland on February 24, 1989, suffered rapid decompression when a cargo door separated from the aircraft after takeoff from the Reef Runway. Nine passengers were swept from the aircraft. The plane returned to Honolulu.

Bojinka plot: a plot discovered by US and Filipino intelligence authorities after a fire in a Manila apartment, included in its first phase the planned explosion of several flights inbound to, or outbound from, Honolulu on January 21, 1995.

(source:wikipedia)