Hawaiian adds 4 planes to meet demand

Hawaiian Airlines said yesterday it will boost its interisland capacity up to a net 15 percent by adding four aircraft to its fleet to meet market demand after the shutdown of Aloha Airlines.

The additions, acquired on long-term leases from Boeing Capital Corp., will increase Hawaiian's interisland fleet of Boeing 717-200 aircraft to 15. Two of the aircraft will enter service in September, with the other two starting in November and December.

Hawaiian will continue to operate a long-haul Boeing 767-300 widebody aircraft between Honolulu and Maui as well as flying an additional 717 aircraft that it put into service to handle immediate service needs in the wake of Aloha's shutdown until the new planes are phased into operation.

The Boeing 717's operational capability and fuel efficiency make it a good match for the isle market, Hawaiian said in a statement.

The additions "will allow us to increase our flight schedules during periods of the day that our customers prefer to travel," said Mark Dunkerley, president and chief executive.

Hawaiian has hired 230 additional employees and is seeking to fill an additional 160 positions, including pilots, flight attendants, maintenance technicians, and contract service workers.

Hawaiian operates a total of 150 interisland flights daily between Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island. It also operates a fleet of 18 widebody twin-aisle Boeing 767-300 aircraft on 16 flights daily to 14 destinations outside Hawaii.