Hawaiian Air makes purchase of large building near airport

Hawaiian Airlines has bought the 14-story tower near Honolulu Airport best known for the Wyland murals on two sides of the building.

The murals, named “Hawaiian Humpbacks,” were originally painted in 1985 and repainted in 1999, according to the Wyland Foundation website. The murals, visible from the H-1 viaduct, are seen by thousands of motorists daily.

The murals “will stay as they are for now,” said Ann Botticelli, Hawaiian senior vice president for corporate communications and public affairs, in an email.

Hawaiian bought the tower, known as the Airport Center, for $10.8 million. The building at 3049 Ualena St. is near Hawaiian’s Koapaka Street corporate headquarters. Hawaiian said the new space will allow the state’s largest carrier to “better meet its short- and long-term office requirements.”

“The Airport Center’s convenient and strategic location gives us tremendous flexibility as we continue expanding our business,” said Rock Tang, Hawaiian Air’s senior director of corporate real estate. “This is a cost-effective and efficient way to support our growing staffing and space needs while enhancing our operations.”

Hawaiian said it intends to continue managing the fee-simple property as a multitenant office building by leasing most of its 111,109 square footage to current and prospective tenants, while initially occupying approximately 20,000 square feet.