Long before narrow-body jets and today’s carriers filled Hawaii’s airports, there was Pan Am. Its iconic flying boats were the first to connect the mainland U.S. to Hawaii in a way that didn’t involve a ship or several weeks of transit. For many travelers and Hawaii residents alike, Pan Am didn’t just represent another airline—it was the beginning of mass tourism, air travel glamor, and even a particular kind of Hawaii dream.
Now, nearly 90 years after the airline first flew to Honolulu, new signs suggest Pan Am could return after its last flight 34 years ago.
Why Pan Am’s return matters today.
Pan Am Global Holdings, which owns the airline’s intellectual property, is leading the potential return of Pan Am. In early June 2025, Pan Am announced a formal partnership with AVi8 Air Capital to evaluate the feasibility of relaunching Pan Am as a scheduled commercial airline.
According to multiple sources, this strategic alliance assesses aircraft options, financing structures, regulatory compliance, and market entry strategies. While no routes or launch dates have been confirmed, the companies say they are specifically exploring underserved or historically significant markets, making Hawaii, where Pan Am pioneered transpacific service, a logical candidate.
The effort is still in its early phases but represents the most serious attempt to revive the Pan Am name in over a decade.
Pan Am’s potential comeback is a meaningful headline for those interested in the origins of Hawaii travel news. The airline helped define Hawaii aviation history, and its possible return feels improbable, strangely appealing, and timely.
The golden age of Pan Am in Hawaii.
Pan Am began transpacific survey flights in 1935, using Martin M-130 China Clipper aircraft to link San Francisco and Honolulu. That same year, it became the first commercial airline to fly passengers to Hawaii.
The flight took over 20 hours and cost the modern equivalent of an astounding $10,000. But for the first time, Hawaii was no longer a ship journey away. The airline built out a vast transpacific route system and made Honolulu a critical stopover for long-haul global travel. Its infrastructure and navigational support shaped key points across the Pacific, including Midway and Wake Island.
Pan Am didn’t just fly to Hawaii. It changed what visiting Hawaii literally meant.
Could a modern Pan Am thrive in Hawaii?
Today’s Hawaii air travel market is ultra-competitive and crowded. Major carriers dominate, budget flights are the norm, and airlines and most travelers focus on deals, not service.
And yet, this might be precisely why a revived Pan Am could work—if it avoids trying to compete on cost alone.
Hawaii is rethinking its tourism model. There’s increasing interest in attracting slower, more intentional visitors who value sustainability and cultural connection. A high-style, boutique airline experience could fit that goal far better than another low-cost entry.
Flying to Hawaii in the golden age of aviation—before ancillary fees, cramped seats, and boarding chaos—might not just appeal to older travelers. It might sell a version of the islands that has become harder to find.
Readers remember the magic of flying Pan Am.
Beat of Hawaii readers have long shared their memories of flying to the islands on Pan Am. The article Prices Went From $5,500 to $99 As Air Travel Reshaped Hawaii includes nearly 200 comments, many from travelers whose first experiences with Hawaii were aboard a Pan Am flight.
Dan B. described his first trip to Hawaii on a Pan Am 747 as “a total blast,” calling it “like a party from the moment we got up to altitude.” He remembered deplaning to hula dancers and being greeted with a lei.
Lisa L. flew on the Yankee Clipper in 1960 to visit her grandparents in Waikiki. She recalled being given Pan Am-branded playing cards and a logo bag during the flight, and stepping off the plane into the scent of pineapple and plumeria.
For Jan M., the ritual of being greeted with a free lei in the terminal made a lasting impression. She wrote that her father loved Hawaii so much that he brought the family back every summer, making Pan Am part of a family tradition.
These moments weren’t about price. They were about experience—something that may still resonate with travelers today.
What a Pan Am comeback could look like now.
For a Pan Am revival to succeed, it must avoid competing head-to-head with today’s big players. Instead, it would have to double down on brand identity, making flying feel like a return to civility, not just a way to reach a destination.
That could mean slower routes, more service, and a modern take on the old “Clipper” ethos. It could mean launching limited Hawaii flights that prioritize quality over quantity. Is there room in the market for an airline that doesn’t race to the bottom? If so, few brands are better positioned to claim that space than Pan Am.
Pan Am’s original seaplane landing site on Middle Loch in Pearl Harbor still exists, marked with a historical plaque placed by former Pan Am workers. One reader, Justin S., even mapped the spot in Google to preserve its legacy. That site could become symbolic again if Pan Am returns to the Pacific.
A familiar name, and a different Hawaii.
Whether Pan Am returns is still uncertain, but the possibility has already opened the door to something we rarely see in air travel anymore: imagination.
The idea of flying Pan Am again—not just as a throwback but as a genuine option—has real appeal, especially in a market like Hawaii, where memories and nostalgia are often part of why people travel in the first place.
Pan Am was the first airline to link Hawaii and the mainland by air. It built the foundation for everything that came after. If it flies again, it won’t just be a brand revival but a homecoming.
Would you welcome the return of Pan Am? Please let us know in the comments. Mahalo!
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
I made my first trip to Hawaii from LA in 1960 aboard the Matson Line’s Matsonia. I left HNL on a Pan American Strato Cruiser (4 propeller engined, slow, low flying aircraft) to Manila with intermediate stops at Wake Island and Guam–8 hours for each leg. Fortunately, on the way back. three months later, Manila had finished lengthening their runway and were able to handle the Pan American Boeing 707. What an incredible change with a non-stop to HNL. Never have forgotten that trip!
Heck, yes! Bring Pan-Am back. I would love to say ‘I flew Pan-Am’, they are so iconic. And let’s make the first route non-stop DEN-OGG 🙂
I’ve flown Pan Am multiple times in the mid to late 70s. Even 47 years ago, Pan Am was premium. I flew a lot in the Army because I was stationed first in Hawaii then California then outside of Frankfurt Germany. Quite the duty stations.
Im recalling Pan Am both out of Frankfurt and London to JFK and sometimes connecting hither and you as they say.
Ironically I ended up working for and retiring from Amother Airline (get it ?).
Ill never forget those 747 flights out of Europe or to/from Honolulu. Definitely the best times of my life. Pan Am, thank you for being there and for the military discounts. Just climbing into that bird knowing I was going to be treated so well and for so long is a wonderful memory !
Aloha
Michael
Love this lovely idea. Do it. I was cabin crew and flew to Honolulu often from Seattle. Happy days!
I was a Pan Am stewardess and trained in Honolulu. To see our beloved airline fly to Hawaii again would be a dream!
Loved your coverage of the possible reinvention of an old relic of aviation, Pam Am. My first experience with Pam Am, I was serving with the Marine Corps in Viet Nam in the Spring of 1968, when I went on R&R to Hawaii to meet my wife via Pan Am. It was a Boeing four engine 707. We all called this plane, the freedom bird. It was a truly magic time to leave a war zone and spend 7 days in paradise by way of Pam Am. I’ve always remembered the flight and the caring crew. Two years ago I read a book about the start and ending of Pan Am, An American Saga, Juan Trippe and his Pan Am Experience. Great read about Pan Am, but it also brought back so many wonderful reflections of a time I associated with an airline that had a special connection to Hawaii.
Yes. I would love to travel in style. Bring Pan AM back!
My wife and I were stationed at Andersen AFB on Guam from 1980 to I984. We flew Pan Am frequently primarily from Guam to Hawaii then to the West Coast. We always enjoyed the service and the heritage of Juan Tripp’s airline. While on Guam, I was a member of the Daedalians which was an organization to honor military pilots. Our local chapter was named “The China Clipper Flight.” We had a large photo of a Martin 404 hanging in the Officers Club. We would fly Pan Am again if we could. What a great airline! Bring back the excellent cabin service and the white seafarer’s caps for the pilots!
William C., Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
As someone who travelled on Pan Am regularly and a longtime member of their Clipper Club and frequent traveler program, I would of course welcome the return of Pan Am. But I have to admit I have my doubts about the viability of its success in today’s world. Were they to fly to Hawaii I would certainly favor to fly with them, but I am reminded about something Robert Crandall, the longtime president of American Airlines said at a speech I attended many years ago. Something to the effect of every time the airline tried to increase comfort by increasing the distance between the seats but increasing the airfare as a result of fewer seats on the plane, passengers voted with their wallets and switched carriers.
I hope it happens, but I sadly have by doubts.
Trying to revive Pan Am based purely on nostalgia is a fool’s errand. A sound business plan means being more than just a niche carrier. Those have been tried and have all failed, with the exception of La Compagnie.
With the market already saturated, I don’t see Pan Am version 4.0 being any more successful than versions 2.0 and 3.0
I flew Pan Am August 1985, LAX-JFK-CDG. First Class. The flight attendant had a tray of mimosas at the boarding door.
I sat in the front row, right, where the fuselage curved, 747, with an almost straight ahead view of the take off. Amazing!
I agree with @GoForRide in that having IP rights to use the PanAm name and trademarks will not necessarily result in the rebirth of the old PanAm and its level of service. While like other commenters I feel nostalgia for the brand, modern economic pressures apply to all airline operators.
That said, if they operate the correct routes, they could maybe become an all business class airline like La Compagnie, which flies from Newark to Paris, Nice, and Milan. That could work from the West Coast to Hawaii but I have heard nothing from other sources about their business plan. Hawaii service is pure speculation at this point, as is their rebirth in general.
A return to comfortable roomy non hurried travel to Hawaii would be welcomed. If a returning Pan AM can do that. Wonderful.
If any other aniline is willing and able to do that – More power to them too.
I miss the older and more comfortable style of travel
Yes, I remember PanAm as an excellent airline back in the 60’s, and I would love to see them flying to Hawaii again. I wonder what the price tag would be?
Absolutely !!! Malibu Shirts at Whaler’s Village in Ka’anapali sells a LOT of vintage Pan Am stuff! Who does not want an “experience” …think Disney…that is what $ELL$ when all the other airlines are scrambling to the bottom with cramped, uncomfortable seats, mediocre flavorless “food” options, boarding chaos and arriving to nothing special aka no leis (unless you buy one before hand) or greeting…My last visitors to Maui received Costco orchid leis from me upon arrival – they were delighted! Let the magical Hawaiian experience begin!
I last rode Pan Am in 1986. It was FRA to SFO, the day we had attacked Tripoli. The only thing I saw different at FRA was that the Pan Am 747 parked at the gate was a decoy. We rode a bus out to the plane we rode to SFO. About 1/3 full. SFO, on the other hand, had turned into an armed camp.
Pan Am returning to Hawaii would be fantastic. I would pay extra for their level of service. Please bring them back!
Flew Pan Am one time with my parents, and I was so young I can’t give a review. However, one thing I know for sure and that is that there is no way the new “Pan Am” would even remotely resemble the Pan Am of days of old. That’s not to say that they can’t have cutting edge aircraft with all the newest amenities and technology, but the days of stewardesses (oh, sorry, flight attendants) waiting on you hand and foot are long gone.
If they do reboot, best of luck!
It must be understood that any revival of “Pan Am” is of the name and nostalgia only. Missing will be the innovative leadership of Pan Am’s founder, the late Juan Trippe. Today’s owners of the “intellectual property” of Pan Am may have a unique opportunity to enter the industry as a “boutique brand”, which certainly would need to come at a premium price to the consumer. However, with the industry-wide reshuffling of routes and aircraft, a resurrected Pan American Airlines, with a modest fleet of leased widebodies such as B787s or A330s, may be able to capitalize on the frustrations felt by higher-end leisure and business travelers.
I would 100% get behind this. Bring back the retro-glamour, legroom, reclining seats and all that jazz! Yeah baby!
This was amazing to read. Like many people, my brother and I took our first trip to the mainland on a 707 in 1961. Dad made us dress up in coats and ties and that first trip began my love of travel. Pan American has always provided the best service to our family. Dad was a member of The Clipper Club which, in those days was prestigious. He even flew on the flying boats back in the 30s when they docked at Pearl Harbor.
Having PanAm “resurrected” would really be something. It must be done with love and attention to detail. I hope they succeed.
No. PanAm did not bring in “mass tourism”. For most of its existence, it was the very opposite of mass tourism. It was expensive, elite, and uncommon.
“Mass tourism” started with deregulation in 1978 and is what led to the extinction of Pan Am, as well as Eastern, Braniff, and TWA.
These airlines had cost structures based on high prices and relatively few passengers.
When deregulation led to flooding of the market and plunging prices, PanAm couldn’t adapt.
Sadly, the last full decade of PanAm was anything but glamourous.
In 1965 I flew Pan Am from Honolulu to Tokyo. We stopped on Wake Island for breakfast and refueling.
I remember flying on a DC-8 from the mainland to Hawaii. Great service and half a sandwich came with a peach cake desert. Two plus beverage offerings and the whole service was great. I wonder if these offerings return that the servicing and welcoming attitude from people on the islands will seem that much more unwelcoming. Maybe the best part of the trip might be the flight.
PanAm’s return would be fabulous!
Let’s start a write in campaign.
We loved Pan Am!
A upscale revived PanAm would be very interesting indeed. A ticket for me averages $650 now and I’d certainly pay double for that wonderful experience of years ago. It wasn’t that many years ago either. Even 5 years ago Hawaiian Airlines got the Aloha spirit going once we boarded the plane.
Yes! Please PanAm — bring back large, deep-cushion seats, leg room, real multi-course meals, playing cards — and this was just in PanAm economy in the 50s-early 60s! Compare rates for today’s so-called “first-class” bare-bones Hawaii service to PanAm’s “economy” back then. I will gladly pay today’s higher 1st class rates for yesterday’s service and comfort. Just don’t bring back in-flight smoking!
Pan Am was a class airline, unlike a lot of airlines today. It was a sad day when they left the skies. Would love to see them flying again.
After reading the potential of having PAM AM return absolutely excited. I have always admired PAM AM flyinfg in the 60’s, and was saddened to have PAM AM somewhat disappear from site IO believe in the late 60’s or early 70’s. Hopefully, it will all work out to have PAM AM return.
There absolutely is a space for a PanAm revival. I never had the chance to fly with them, however, I remember something roughly equivalent. Canadian-born, my first trip here was in 1983 when I was 19 years old. Flying with Wardair was really special; first class for economy passengers (“Wardair Class”), including large seats, plenty of legroom, quality food (served on Royal Doulton china) and beverages. Yes, in economy. Wardair used to bring more passengers to Hawaiʻi than any other airline. It was all about the experience, and Wardair was simply amazing.
Oh yeh,
Mahalo and bring on beautiful stewardesses again! My first Pan Am was with the USN/military, San Diego/Azores/Madrid/Casablanca! Boxed lunches you could actually unwrap. My personal cost, $0000.00 and a slave’s wages.
JrayT
I thought the Pan Am name was owned by another entity, such as Gilford rail?
Gilford had the rights to the name for several years. Had smaller freight jets and boxcars branded with the paa logo and motif. Believe their paa branding was recently spun off to someone with deeper pockets.
Wow, Pan Am returning to Hawaii? That would definitely be a game changer! However, they would need to avoid the recent logistical and business-model mistakes made by Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest, and truly become Hawai’i’s premiere airline and provide world-class service from first class to economy class!
Pan Am provided a whole experience for their guests. It was outstanding back in the day. We took the 747 flight from Honolulu to St. Louis and the onward many times. It was the old fashioned service when FAs really treated pax as guests. Now, for many reasons FAs are mostly overwhelmed and not as friendly. I did take a recent flight on UA from Denver to OGG and let me tell you…it was excellent!! Liam and the other FAs were so welcoming and professional. It’s not always a horrendous experience!
Just curious are you sure that HNL-STL 747 flight wasn’t operated by TWA ? I don’t think PA ever had HNL-STL nonstops ….
PAA did not have domestic destinations within the USA. Both coasts and Miami but not deep in the USA. It was an international carrier only and that situation is what hurt them the most financially.
Aloha BOH! It is Justin S., the guy who added the Pan Am marker to Google Maps. I am currently in Guam and have added another Pan Am marker to Google Maps. It is the location of where the Clippers use to land and also of the Pan Am Skyways hotel (now gone and replaced by a Coast Guard building). I had the chance to speak to some of the folks here about Pan Am. They still speak of it in reverence and how it connected them to Asia and North America. If PA does come back, it needs to be done properly. There other attempts at revival have sadly failed. I’d be willing to pay a little more if the newest Pan Am were like it’s old version.
Haha adai!
It was November 1957 when my mother and I came to Hawaii on a Pan American Stratocruiser to join my father who was one of the first plantation workers recruited from the Philippines right after WW2. We had stopovers at Guam, Wake Island, and Midway. I don’t remember much of the flight except the attention I got from the flight attendants.
I’d like to see Pan Am come back with a style that’s the seat one and a half the width they are now. Charge one and a half times the price doesn’t have to be like first class and fit a middle ground between budget and first class tickets
I would LOVE to fly Pan Am to Hawaii again! I well recall the lovely amenities and the whole feeling of the Islands while on board.
United and AA did much the same in the 60’s.
Todays flights from the mainland feel like “cattle calls” and the whole air of excitement is missing when you arrive tired and feeling undervalued.
Although I grew up when Pan Am was in business, I never had the opportunity to fly on them. I sure hope this happens and we get to see the familiar Pan Am globe and top notch Pan Am service in the skies once again.