Hawaiian Airlines’ passenger traffic rose 6.2 percent in April as the carrier offered more flights than the year-earlier period.
The state’s largest airline said Thursday it transported 867,298 passengers compared with 816,688 in April 2015. Its load factor, or percentage of seats filled, jumped 5.6 percentage points to 83.1 percent from 77.5 percent.
Hawaiian’s available seat miles, or one seat transported one mile, rose 3.3 percent to 1.45 million from 1.40 million. Revenue passenger miles, or one paying passenger transported one mile, soared 10.7 percent to 1.20 million from 1.09 million.
Virgin starts L.A.-Hawaii service
Virgin America, which is awaiting regulatory and shareholder approval to be acquired by Alaska Airlines, launched a new, previously announced Hawaii service Thursday with a daily nonstop between Los Angeles and Honolulu.
The San Francisco-based carrier is offering a one-way fare sale for $199 that must be purchased by 6:59 p.m. HT today with travel to occur between Sept. 7 and Nov. 16. The lowest sale fares are valid only in a specified cabin class for travel Mondays through Wednesdays.
The airline also will introduce daily service between Los Angeles and Kahului beginning June 14.
Virgin began service to Hawaii on Nov. 2 when it began daily San Francisco-Honolulu service and then added San Francisco-Maui service Dec. 3.
Virgin said a typical airline merger takes upward of six months or more. Beyond that the process to merge the two airlines into a single carrier typically takes an additional one to two years. Virgin and Alaska announced the merger April 4.
ON THE MOVE
District 49 Toastmasters (Hawaii) has selected Sheryl Turbeville for its Community and Leadership Award, which will be presented to her at the Toastmasters 2016 Spring Conference Luncheon on May 14 in the Pagoda Hotel’s C’est Si Bon Ballroom. Turbeville recently became communications and legislative coordinator for the Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission and had previously worked at KHON2 News for 25 years as an assignment manager, assignment editor, general assignment reporter and weekday assignment editor as well as covering the courts and police beat. Turbeville is also involved with community organizations such as the Rainbows Volleyball Club Hawaii, the Mo‘okini Heiau Foundation and the Lumana‘i Awards. Originally from Waianae, Turbeville is an alumna of Waianae High School and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she did news segments at KTUH and interned at KHVH News Radio during her junior year.
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Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties has announced that Realtor Julie R. Archambeau has joined the company as vice president and assistant branch manager. She brings a significant depth of experience to her new position, including having served as a principal broker, director of finance/accounting and sales manager.
