Aloha! to Hawaiian Airlines

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Another flag carrier from the United States, with the logo bearing a Hawaiian girl wearing a hibiscus behind her ear, will start flying to Korea next year, promising better service and a tropical experience.

Established in 1929, Hawaiian Airlines (HA) is one of the oldest carriers in the U.S. With a fleet of 34 airplanes, the airline operates some 150 routes within the islands of Hawaii daily and long-haul flights to the U.S. mainland, Australia and Philippines.

The carrier is now beginning to spread its wings to Northeast Asia ― Japan in November and Korean in January 2011. They will start operating the Incheon-Honolulu routes four times a week, with hopes of expanding to a daily service.

"Hawaii starts here. The second you step on a Hawaiian Airlines' airplane, you're experiencing Hawaii,” Mark Dunkerley, President and CEO of HA, told The Korea Times.

We have had an interest in Korea for several years. And we've been waiting for the right moment ― the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and the right economic conditions," Dunkerley continued. "Those two things have happened in last a few months and it created a perfect opportunity for us to fly here."

He said the VWP is particularly important for tourism traffic as it makes the U.S. far more approachable for Korean nationals.

"In price, HA’s fares will be cheaper than other airlines servicing the Incheon-Honolulu route to be "competitive." The exact fare will be revealed soon.

"We have a lot of competition, not only from Korean carriers, but many airlines providing connecting services also. So it is a very competitive market and we will charge competitively," he said.