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2013 MARCH 13 BSN Jasmine Kiwa, left, Stacey Hettig, Rahira Makekau, and Tiana Golder waited to entertain guests and travelers at Hawaiian Airlines kickoff for New Zealand service. They are all New Zealanders who also entertain at Polynesian Cultural Center. Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Chief Commercial Officer Peter Ingram and Hokulea crewmembers of the 1985 Voyage of Rediscovery will be on hand as Hawaiian Airlines launches its first-ever service to Auckland New Zealand. SA photo by Craig Kojima
Hawaiian Airlines launched its inaugural flight to Auckland, New Zealand, this morning with 222 passengers that included seven crewmembers of the Hawaiian sailing canoe Hokule’a, whose groundbreaking 1985 voyage from Hawaii to Waitangi reintroduced the practice of celestial navitgation to the Maori culture.
Nainoa Thompson, who captained Hokule’a on that voyage, was among those aboard the nine-hour flight on a 294-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
Hawaiian will be operating three flights a week to Auckland.
