Hawaiian Airlines is rolling out three new Moana-themed planes this summer, and the first one is already flying. The easy version is colorful aircraft, Disney characters, a live-action Moana release coming July 10, and another high-profile tie-in for the airline brand of Hawaii. That version is true. It is just not the whole story.
Hawaiian’s newest planes arrive at an interesting moment. As some of the airline’s most familiar identity markers have disappeared or changed during the merger, one of its biggest public-facing expressions of its Hawaii identity now appears on the side of a Disney film tie-in.
The first aircraft is an Airbus A321neo, N227HA, with two more coming in July: an A330 for Hawaiian’s transpacific routes and a Boeing 717 for interisland flying. Together, the three planes put Hawaiian’s latest Moana collaboration across its network, from Hawaii to the U.S. West Coast, Tahiti and the Cook Islands, and the neighbor islands.
Three planes, one summer rollout.
The first plane carries the tagline “Voyage Beyond The Reef” and features characters including Maui as a hawk with his fishhook, the Kakamora, Heihei, and Pua. It is colorful, familiar, and likely to be among the most photographed Hawaiian aircraft of the year.
Hawaiian has done this before, with Moana in 2016 and again with Moana 2, making this third collaboration a continuation of the co-branding rather than any new pivot. The connection between flight, voyaging, Hawaii, and the wider Pacific is obvious enough that the airline did not have to reach far for it to work.
What changed around the brand.
Hawaiian’s traditional identity has been changing quickly since the Alaska deal concluded. The “HA” code and “Hawaiian” callsign have already been retired, with the final flight under that identity on October 29, 2025. Flight numbers moved to the AS prefix in April.
Other changes have been closer to the passenger experience. About 250 Hawaiian flight attendants were relocated to SeaTac to work Alaska-branded long-haul flights. Free economy meals have been cut. Even leis, flowers, and Aloha shirts became an issue on Alaska-branded Seattle flights, which some saw as understandable and others did not.
So the Moana planes are arriving at a particularly interesting moment. Hawaiian’s cultural expression is still visible, and in this case very visibly on display. But some of the places passengers once encountered Hawaiian’s identity most directly, and in the flesh, have been changing at the same time.
Why the film tie-in is significant.
There is a strong marketing case for the Moana planes. Hawaiian frames the rollout as part of its own heritage, not merely a film promotion. Alisa Onishi, Managing Director of Hawaii Marketing, described voyaging as being “at the heart of who we are as the airline of Hawaii,” grounded in the legacy of Polynesian navigators and traditional wayfinding. Thus, Hawaiian is tying the aircraft to a voyaging story rooted in Hawaiian’s 96-year legacy.
Still, the vehicle is Disney’s live-action Moana. That means one of Hawaiian’s biggest public-facing identity moments this year is arriving through a partner’s film.
How these liveries actually work.
The mechanics of liveries are different than an easy “Alaska is spending big on Hawaiian.” As we covered when the Moana 2 planes rolled out, a special livery on an airliner can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, with the cost typically borne by the film partner rather than the airline. The designs aren’t even paint; they’re large decals that go on for the promotion and come off when it ends. So this isn’t Alaska pouring its own money into a cultural statement. It’s their Hawaiian aircraft providing the canvas, and Disney providing both the budget and the story.
So it’s fascinating that the most visible expression of Hawaiian identity flying this summer is being funded by a studio, themed to a film, scheduled to peel off when the movie’s run deal is done. None of that makes it less beautiful or less genuinely tied to Polynesian voyaging. But it’s also different from the identity an airline builds and maintains under its own name.
For many travelers, that will be enough. They will see a beautiful airplane, a familiar story, and a reason to take photos before boarding. Families will love it. We’ll grab some more pics too, and other aviation fans will track it. Visitors may see it as one more reminder that their trip to Hawaii begins before they ever land.
What passengers may notice next.
These planes give Hawaiian something warm and celebratory at a time when much of the merger conversation was focused on loss. That is part of why the livery rollout works.
So the question isn’t whether the Moana planes work. They do. And yet Hawaiian’s most visible recent identity now arrives through a movie partnership at the same moment so much of its traditional identity is less apparent.
For longtime Hawaiian flyers, does that feel like a smart way to keep the brand visible, or another sign that the airline you knew is fading?
Lead Photo Credit: Courtesy of Hawaiian/Alaska Airlines.
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The Hawaiian Airlines you knew died in 2019, the last year it made a profit.
When I saw the new Hawaiian plane I immediately had a positive reaction. I really didn’t equate it with a Disney movie…maybe that’s because I don’t have kids nor do I watch Disney movies anymore. I truly thought the plane looked very beautiful.
Good to mention that despite the Hawaiian livery, there is a small decal that says Operated by Alaska Airlines. This disclaimer is common on aircraft flying under a mainline brand but operated by another airline. It is something that makes this merger a little more visible and operational reminder that Hawaiian is no longer independent despite all the news.
New planes? New marketing. New decals.
Can’t cover up cold biz corp. with some large cultural visual hand-holding. You will fly our AS way … or not at all … so get over it.
When I get on a flight, I could care less about the paint scheme I care that it’s mechanically safe and the pilots are experienced and get me there on time It is only paint or a decal for heavens sake
For me as a long time Hawaiian customer, it just seems like a marketing ploy and not a reflection of the beautiful Hawaiian culture. I really miss HA.
While this may make us feel good about HA it’s only going to be short lived. Alaska acquired HA for a few reasons, Strictly From a business perspective. Alaska wanted the fleet and the gates. They got both and we get access to Europe and a few other spots. We also got one world and that’s a plus. At some point the dust will settle. Planes will most likely be repainted. The plaques will be removed from the old HA aircraft. The Attire will be standardized and HA and Whats it provided will be gone.
It’s really just a matter of time.
Maybe the most interesting part is that nobody seems very concerned about the Moana thing itself. They’re talking about everything else surrounding it. That’s a totally different conversation. But it is a nice livery.
I never cared about liveries before nor did I understand them. Now I find myself becoming more of a Hawaii aviation nerd. Alaska has a new livery too.
The planes are beautiful. The merger was complicated. Both things can be true at the same time. Something simply had to give or Hawaiian was gone.
Thanks for reminding people of that reality, Bob. They seem to forget. I think it’s rather magnanimous of Alaska, especially since they didn’t have to do anything.
Thank you, Kay, for a dose of reality. You’re exactly right. Alaska paid off a financially dying airline and put it out of its own misery. Alaska didn’t owe anything more.
The article hit on something I hadn’t given much thought to before. Hawaiian’s identity used to show up in so many little ways that all made it unique. Now it feels like it has to show up in bigger and bigger ways to even get noticed. Moving on.
I see this completely differently. Disney is one of the strongest storytelling brands in the world. If Alaska wants to attach itself to a story about voyaging and the Pacific, that’s just great marketing.
Personally I don’t care about these decals or who paid for them. I care that people still smile when you board. Hawaiian used to be hands down better at that than anybody.
The planes are gorgeous with the Disney designs. No question. The article isn’t really about the planes, though, and I think that’s why people are reacting so strongly.
Maybe Disney understands Hawaiian’s brand better than Alaska does. Now that’s weird.
I saw the photos and like them. Then I read the article and realized I couldn’t remember the last thing Hawaiian really introduced. On the other hand, my grandkids are losing their minds over these planes. That’s enough for me.
The irony is that the plane’s appearance is more Hawaiian than the actual changes we’ve seen onboard lately.
I honestly think we’re overthinking this. Airlines have been doing movie tie-ins forever. The real question is whether the flight leaves on time and whether the crew still feels Hawaiian. The paint is just fun.
Oh what the heck. I personally see all of the melancholy feelings over an airline that financially failed as silly but if some Disney characters painted on the side of an airplane, even if just to exhibit a passing grade in commercial Marketing 101, brings a smile or two, so be it.
After all, wasn’t the marketing of Hawaiian Airlines as the only true Hawaiian and Aloha-filled fleet of planes also just marketing?
I’m sorry, I feel we should just ‘call a spade, a spade’ and get on with the extinction of the Hawaiian Airlines name and image. To me, this ‘lingering’ imagery is just like watching the slow death of a dead airline we all enjoyed to fly, like propping up a dead man to take ‘live’ pictures. It smacks of opportunism on Alaska’s part, misusing the Hawaiian name and image to promote business, while displaying an indifference to both in practice. I will always miss the Hawaiian experience that Alaska has virtually erased. It’s nothing more than ‘just business’, so let’s move on folks.
This is the best thing that could happen. It’s so nice to see the Hawaiian planes back. Thank you Disney and Alaskan airlines. It bring back that Aloha feeling and comfort that set Hawaiian Airlines apart from all the others.
Plan on flying in March 2027. Hope
I’m able to fly in one of the new planes. If not it’s such a good feeling to see them flying in the sky.
Painting a plane with a woke Disney brand does not change that fact that thousands of locals lost their jobs during the merger. Let’s not feel too good about this.
What was the alternative, when Hawaiian was losing $1m per day?
Alaska Air Group reported a Q1 2026 net loss of $193 million on a consolidated basis. Hope that new paint job really helps.