33 thoughts on “Hawaii-Based Airlines, Then and Now”
Bill P
Very interesting history of air service in paradise! I very much enjoyed. Not a pilot myself but father of Air Force and commercial flyer.
1
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Bill.
Thanks for that and your first comment.
Aloha.
David B.
This past November, we flew Mokulele from ITO-OGG-LNY. It truly was a “flightseeing” flight. According to the radar track, we flew at 1,000 feet along the east coast of Hawaii, climbing only after passing Hawi. The connecting flight flight from OGG-LNY was over the Iao Needle area, and I swear were weren’t more than 800 AGL when crossing. Amazing scenery.
Mahalo
2
Beat of Hawaii
Hi David.
Thanks for sharing that Mokulele experience.
Aloha.
David B.
I too, recall the coupon books, and being able to miss a Hawaiian flight, and just walk over to Aloha and catch the next flight in 20 minutes. Also remember taking a foam ice chest on four interisland flights, and having it survive just fine as checked baggage.
Mahalo
3
Timm T
Loved Aloha Airlines! When I was covering Hawaii, I was flying over every six weeks. Aloha ran a flight from Oakland to Honolulu which was way more convenient than having to get to SFO. Plus. they had a code share with United so I could get Mileage Plus credit with every flight. Wish they were still flying.
4
Randy R
There’s a lesson here, and Aloha was also our Inter-Island Choice, for your reasons in 5 Business Trips a year, Oahu-Maui. The questions on Hawaiian are real, as the local service is underwritten by the Long-Haul, the last two years, the pain to Tourism and kama’aina alike has been great, SW may be the best opportunity for the Inter-Island travel given their Hub & Spoke Model, and their Financial strength, competition is good. Hawaiian is the Gold Standard for travel to Hawaii.
3
David K
Thanks, again for an interesting article. Unfortunately, you forgot to include Air Molokai. I flew on it several times, often in the co-pilot seat foe weight distribution. Mahalo and aloha for now.
1
Beat of Hawaii
Hi David.
We added them – thanks for that. We don’t remember them, and neither does Google. Very little information other than a crash.
Aloha.
1
Stan F
Another airline, but didn’t have a lot of information attached to it, was Air Molokai, also known as Air Molokai-Tropic Airlines. Flew DC-3 cargo and passenger flights between Oahu and Molokai, connecting the island to both Oahu and Maui. Ran out of the south ramp at HNL.
1
Dick O
The thing I remember about Mid Pacific was they had this huge schedule of flights daily, but then on the day of the flight would cancel the flights that were not well booked. So, you could get a reservation for an early flight, but by the time they finished juggling the flight schedules, your flight might be 3-4 hours later. Connecting to a flight to the mainland was always a gamble.
Stan F
Another airline, more like an air taxi service but still influential was HATS – Hawaiian Air Tour Services – which ran DH Doves and Herons in their heyday. The owner, Hans Mueller, in the 1980s was scouting around to start an interisland airline to compete against Hawaiian and Aloha. the venture never got off the ground.
Stan F
An interesting story about Mid Pacific – Formed at Honolulu on August 31, 1979 by former Hawaiian Airlines executives John Higgins, Ed Nielsen, and Nolan Kramer as the airline operating subsidiary of Mid-Pacific Air Corporation, it entered the market on March 15, 1981 with a single Japanese-made NAMC YS-11A. Eventually getting two Fokker F-28 jets, the airline went through a series of ownership transfers. before ceasing operations in Hawaii in 1988. Their big thing was coupons.
Maleko
Mid-Pacific Airlines was great while they lasted. Loved the turboprops and friendly service. Also, they served fruit punch from McDonald’s on board! Was such a hoot to see the McDonald’s coolers being loaded aboard. Many of their pilots were from the military and sometimes you would get incredible views when they decided to bank sharply. Such fun!
2
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Very interesting history of air service in paradise! I very much enjoyed. Not a pilot myself but father of Air Force and commercial flyer.
Hi Bill.
Thanks for that and your first comment.
Aloha.
This past November, we flew Mokulele from ITO-OGG-LNY. It truly was a “flightseeing” flight. According to the radar track, we flew at 1,000 feet along the east coast of Hawaii, climbing only after passing Hawi. The connecting flight flight from OGG-LNY was over the Iao Needle area, and I swear were weren’t more than 800 AGL when crossing. Amazing scenery.
Mahalo
Hi David.
Thanks for sharing that Mokulele experience.
Aloha.
I too, recall the coupon books, and being able to miss a Hawaiian flight, and just walk over to Aloha and catch the next flight in 20 minutes. Also remember taking a foam ice chest on four interisland flights, and having it survive just fine as checked baggage.
Mahalo
Loved Aloha Airlines! When I was covering Hawaii, I was flying over every six weeks. Aloha ran a flight from Oakland to Honolulu which was way more convenient than having to get to SFO. Plus. they had a code share with United so I could get Mileage Plus credit with every flight. Wish they were still flying.
There’s a lesson here, and Aloha was also our Inter-Island Choice, for your reasons in 5 Business Trips a year, Oahu-Maui. The questions on Hawaiian are real, as the local service is underwritten by the Long-Haul, the last two years, the pain to Tourism and kama’aina alike has been great, SW may be the best opportunity for the Inter-Island travel given their Hub & Spoke Model, and their Financial strength, competition is good. Hawaiian is the Gold Standard for travel to Hawaii.
Thanks, again for an interesting article. Unfortunately, you forgot to include Air Molokai. I flew on it several times, often in the co-pilot seat foe weight distribution. Mahalo and aloha for now.
Hi David.
We added them – thanks for that. We don’t remember them, and neither does Google. Very little information other than a crash.
Aloha.
Another airline, but didn’t have a lot of information attached to it, was Air Molokai, also known as Air Molokai-Tropic Airlines. Flew DC-3 cargo and passenger flights between Oahu and Molokai, connecting the island to both Oahu and Maui. Ran out of the south ramp at HNL.
The thing I remember about Mid Pacific was they had this huge schedule of flights daily, but then on the day of the flight would cancel the flights that were not well booked. So, you could get a reservation for an early flight, but by the time they finished juggling the flight schedules, your flight might be 3-4 hours later. Connecting to a flight to the mainland was always a gamble.
Another airline, more like an air taxi service but still influential was HATS – Hawaiian Air Tour Services – which ran DH Doves and Herons in their heyday. The owner, Hans Mueller, in the 1980s was scouting around to start an interisland airline to compete against Hawaiian and Aloha. the venture never got off the ground.
An interesting story about Mid Pacific – Formed at Honolulu on August 31, 1979 by former Hawaiian Airlines executives John Higgins, Ed Nielsen, and Nolan Kramer as the airline operating subsidiary of Mid-Pacific Air Corporation, it entered the market on March 15, 1981 with a single Japanese-made NAMC YS-11A. Eventually getting two Fokker F-28 jets, the airline went through a series of ownership transfers. before ceasing operations in Hawaii in 1988. Their big thing was coupons.
Mid-Pacific Airlines was great while they lasted. Loved the turboprops and friendly service. Also, they served fruit punch from McDonald’s on board! Was such a hoot to see the McDonald’s coolers being loaded aboard. Many of their pilots were from the military and sometimes you would get incredible views when they decided to bank sharply. Such fun!