Hawaiian Airlines is beefing up staff in Kahului, Maui, one of the destinations where it will compete on interisland service with Southwest Airlines, a newcomer to the Hawaii market.

Hawaiian announced today that it is seeking to fill guest service, cargo and ramp agent positions at Kahului Airport, its second largest hub, where it employs over 700 people or nearly 10 percent of its staff.

“We hired over 1,000 employees last year alone and have doubled our workforce since 2008,” said Hawaiian Airlines spokeswoman Tara Shimooka.

In addition to gearing up for busy summer travel, Shimooka said Hawaiian Airlines recently launched its non-stop Sacramento to Kahului service on April 1. The carrier has eight daily flights from the West Coast to Kahului, including Los Angeles, Oakland,Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, San Jose, and Sacramento.

Hawaiian Airlines will provide more information to interested applicants at an open house April 27 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului. Interested job seekers should register to attend the open house by April 25 at www.timecenter.com/hacareers2/.