Island Air

Infobox_Airline
airline=Island Air
logo=IslandAirLogo.pnglogo_size=150
fleet_size=13
destinations=8
IATA=WP
ICAO=MKU
callsign=MOKU
parent=Hawaii Island Air, Inc.
founded=1980 (as Princeville Airways)
headquarters=Honolulu, Hawaii
key_people=Les Murashige (COO) Leslie Kaneshiro (CFO)
hubs=Honolulu International Airport Kahului Airport
focus_cities=
frequent_flyer=Cloud 9
lounge=
alliance=
website= http://www.islandair.com
company_slogan=Always here to take you there.

Island Air (officially Hawaii Island Air, Inc.) is an independent American commuter airline based in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. It operates scheduled inter-island passenger services in Hawaii. Its main base is Honolulu International Airportcite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 95 | date= 2007-04-03] on Oahu, with a hub at Kahului Airport on Maui.

The airline maintains code sharing and frequent flyer agreements with Continental Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and United Airlines. It also operates its own frequent flyer program, Cloud 9.

History

Princeville Airways

Island Air was incorporated in 1980 by Colorado-based Consolidated Oil and Gas as Princeville Airways. It began scheduled services on September 9, 1980, between Honolulu and Princeville using two DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. It served a regular commuter route between Princeville and Honolulu, primarily for Princeville Resort hotel guests. The Princeville Airways fleet consisted of eight DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft.

Aloha IslandAir

In May 1987, Consolidated Oil and Gas sold Princeville Airways to Aloha Air Group, the parent company of Aloha Airlines. Princeville Airways was renamed Aloha IslandAir and served the growing inter-island commuter needs that Aloha Airlines could not accommodate with its larger jetliners. In June 1992, Aloha IslandAir registered the name Island Air as its trade name. In 1995, newly renamed Island Air was granted certification by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate larger aircraft to serve the burgeoning commuter market in Hawaii. In April of that year, Island Air took possession of its first thirty-seven seat De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft.

Hawaii Island Air

In December 2003, it was announced that Gavarnie Holding, LLC would purchase Aloha IslandAir from the Aloha AirGroup, making Island Air Hawaii's third largest independent airline. The purchase was completed on May 11, 2004, and the company was renamed Hawaii Island Air, Inc., although the airline continued to do business as "Island Air." After the purchase, Island Air expanded its business, acquiring more aircraft and flying new routes.

In May 2008, Island Air was awarded Essential Air Service routes from Kansas City International Airport to Joplin, Missouri, Grand Island, Nebraska, Harrison, Arkansas, and Hot Springs, Arkansas but did not announce specific starting dates. [cite news | url=http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/05/05/daily27.html | title=Island Air awarded Midwest flights | work=Pacific Business News | date=2008-05-06 | accessdate=2008-05-06] The following month, however, the airline withdrew from its contract after concluding that a mid-September startup date was unrealistic, citing staffing and fuel costs. [cite news | url=http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/06/09/daily5.html | title=Island Air withdraws from Midwest contract | work=Pacific Business News | date=2008-06-09 | accessdate=2008-06-09]

Island Air is wholly owned by Gavarnie Holding and has 400 employees (at March 2007).

Destinations

United States

*Hawaii
**Hilo (Hilo International Airport)
**Honolulu (Honolulu International Airport)
**Kapalua (Kapalua Airport)
**Kahului (Kahului Airport)
**Kona (Kona International Airport)
**Lanai (Lanai Airport)
**Lihue (Lihue Airport)
**Molokai (Molokai Airport)

Fleet

The Island Air fleet includes the following aircraft (at December 2007): [cite news | title=Island Air’s CEO resigns | date=2007-12-01 | accessdate=2007-12-01 | first=Dave | last=Segal | work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin | url=http://starbulletin.com/2007/12/01/business/story04.html]

The airline took delivery of a Bombardier Q400 in March 2006 and on a five year lease. In September 2006, the airline announced that it was withdrawing the aircraft from inter-island service the following month, with delivery of two Q400s rescheduled to 2007. The airline has since returned all Q400 aircraft and has no plans to return these aircraft to service. [cite news|title=Island Air sidelines its biggest plane|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|date=2006-09-27|accessdate=2006-09-27|last=Segal|first=Dave|url=http://starbulletin.com/2006/09/27/business/story01.html]

Frequent Flyer Partners

As of November 29, 2007, Island Air has frequent flier partnerships with the following airlines: [cite web | url=http://www.islandair.com/rewards-partners.asp | title=Rewards Programs | accessdate=2007-11-29]

*Continental Airlines
*Hawaiian Airlines
*United Airlines

External links

* [http://www.islandair.com/ Island Air]
* [http://www.islandair.com/about-history.asp Island Air's history]

References

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