The sale of Island Air by Aloha Airlines not only means more flights to and from Lihu‘e, but also more jobs for Kaua‘i residents. The new flights could happen as early as August, and the new routes mean “at least
The sale of Island Air by Aloha Airlines not only means more flights to and from Lihu‘e, but also more jobs for Kaua‘i residents.
The new flights could happen as early as August, and the new routes mean “at least 10 employees” could be hired here sometime in July, according to Island Air’s President and Chief Executive Officer Neil Takekawa.
“We’ll be needing customer service, ramp agents, all those things,” Takekawa said.
Takekawa said that he expects the new schedule will include three to four round-trip flights between Honolulu and Lihu‘e, and one round-trip between Lihu‘e and Kahului.
“That used to be a popular route at one time,” Takekawa said.
The company is waiting for a shipment of five 37-passenger turboprop de Havilland DASH-8s before setting a firm schedule for the new routes. The additional aircraft will bring the total fleet to nine planes.
Takekawa expects to hire before July, but said that training will happen on Oahu and that they plan on advertising in The Garden Island Newspaper before then.
All airplane maintainence work, however, will be done on O‘ahu, he said.
When Island Air announced ealier this month that it planned to launch the first of six new planned interisland routes, service between Maui and Kona, it was thought that the new flights could mean cheaper flights.
But don’t count on it, Takekawa said.
Mahalo Airlines and Mid-Pacific were two carriers who sought to exploit inter-island routes by offering low fares to “charge after the big guys,” Takekawa said.
“Their marketing plan didn’t work and now they aren’t in business,” he said. “I have no plans to follow that path.”
Meanwhile, Aloha said that the two airlines would continue to code share, continuing a marketing agreement that will include Island Air’s participation in the AlohaPass frequent flier program.
Aloha Airgroup Inc. said the sale of Aloha Airlines’ sister carrier to Gavarnie Holdings LLC, a family company, was completed earlier this month. Island Air has about 250 employees and has said it plans eventually hire 120 new employees on Maui, O‘ahu and the Big Island, where it will open offices in Kona and Hilo. It currently serves Kapalua and Ka‘anapali on Maui, Hoolehua on Molokai, and Lana‘i City on Lana‘i, from Honolulu and Kahului.
Business Editor Phil Hayworth can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) and mailto:phayworth@pulitzer.net
