Popular Hawaii entertainer Jimmy Borges set the mood by singing "New York, New York."
Kapolei resident Danny Liebertz strutted around the boarding lounge wearing a New York Yankees jersey.
And with a large banner proclaiming "Aloha, New York," Hawaiian Airlines and 173 passengers aboard a new Airbus A330-200 flew off Monday on the inaugural nonstop flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport to mark a new chapter in the carrier’s 82-year history.
Hawaiian’s first foray to the East Coast is expected to provide $156 million in visitor spending and $17 million in tax revenue annually, as well as add more than 107,000 air seats a year. It also will give a boost to tourism from the U.S. East, the state’s second-largest domestic market behind the U.S. West.
The only other nonstop daily service to the East Coast is United Airlines’ flight to Newark, N.J., and United’s new Washington Dulles-Honolulu route, which will begin Thursday.
Liebertz, who was flying on Hawaiian’s inaugural flight with his wife, Doreen, said they were going for four or five days and were hoping to catch a Yankees game and maybe a play while there.
"I have been a Yankee fan all my life," he said. "My parents were born and raised in New York City. My favorite Yankee is Mickey Mantle; I’ll take Derek Jeter now."
He said it was "awesome" to be able to take just one 10-hour flight instead of the typical 14-hour flight with one or two mainland connections.
"It’s going to be a great experience," he said.
Mike McCartney, CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said expanding to New York represented "quite a statement" for Hawaiian Airlines, which over the last 20 months has expanded to Tokyo (November 2010); Seoul (January 2011); Osaka, Japan (July 2011); Fukuoka, Japan (April 2012); and now the Big Apple.
"This New York flight services our second-largest market, the U.S. East," McCartney said. "We needed to have a pickup of air seats from that region, and direct access from the East Coast to Hawaii and the Hawaiian Islands will be very positive for us."
He said the flight will give Hawaii residents more convenient access globally and help connect those in Hawaii to New York, the business center of the world.
McCartney, who was aboard the inaugural flight, said he planned to spend his one day in New York at the National Football League headquarters to thank league officials for agreeing to return the Pro Bowl game to Hawaii in 2013.
"We hope Hawaiian is able to continue to grow and expand," he said. "It’s something that benefits all of us in Hawaii, and we should be very proud that a Hawaiibased company is able to provide this kind of opportunity for not only themselves as a company, but the entire state."
McCartney said all of Hawaiian Airlines’ mainland and international flights will account this year for $2.2 billion in visitor spending and 1.4 million visitors.
Borges, who performed at the sendoff but wasn’t on the flight, said he travels back to New York about once a year with his wife, Vicki, and said he "was thrilled beyond belief."
"It opens up this corridor," Borges said. "I’m happy to be able to get on a plane, fall asleep and get up and here I am in New York.
"As a citizen of Hawaii, I’m excited about the fact that New York, instead of thinking about going to Puerto Rico, Bermuda or Florida, they can get on a plane and wake up here. That means the influence, the sophistication of New York, that kind of thing will slowly be oozing back into Hawaii. And that’s good for my kind of music."
Hawaiian Airlines Senior Vice President Hoyt Zia said the launch of service to New York was exciting for the company.
"It’s our first gateway city on the East Coast," he said. "Everywhere else we fly to this point has been to Asia or the western U.S. So this is a huge step for us."
