Startup turboprop operation ‘Ohana by Hawaiian is expanding to Maui.
Hawaiian Airlines, which is contracting with Idaho-based Empire Airlines to run ‘Ohana using 48-seat ATR-42 twin-engine aircraft, will begin offering daily flights next month from Kahului to Molokai, Kona and Hilo. ‘Ohana also will increase its frequency for Honolulu-Molokai flights during the summer period to four round trips a day from three.
Beginning July 8, ‘Ohana will fly one round trip a day between Kahului and Molokai and two daily round trips between Kahului and Kona. The additional Honolulu-Molokai round trip also will start on that day.
‘Ohana will offer one daily round trip between Kahului and Hilo beginning July 10.
"Since launching ‘Ohana by Hawaiian earlier this year, we’ve received overwhelmingly positive response and robust demand for more service between the islands to connect our communities," said Hadden Watt, managing director of ‘Ohana.
‘Ohana debuted in March when it began offering three daily round-trip flights between Honolulu and Molokai and two daily round-trip flights between Honolulu and Lanai. It was the first time in about a decade that Hawaiian had offered service to both of those islands.
Hawaiian, which holds about 85 percent of the interisland market, continues to put pressure on its smaller yet expanding competitors.
Island Air, owned by billionaire Larry Ellison, the 97 percent owner of Lanai, announced in March it had signed a purchase agreement with Canadian aircraft builder Bombardier for two 71-seat Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft to be delivered in November and December, respectively. Island Air, which also has an option to buy four more Q400s, currently operates a fleet of five 64-seat ATR-72 turboprops.
Mokulele Airlines, which operates nine nine-seat Cessna Grand Caravan turboprops, plans to begin the first commercial service ever out of Kalaeloa Airport on July 1 with three daily round trips between Kahului and the former Barbers Point Naval Air Station.
Mesa Air Group’s go! also had been an interisland fixture since entering the market in June 2006. But go! — which saw its fleet dwindle to just two Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft — shut down March 31.
