Hawaiian Airlines marks 40 years of connecting Hawai‘i and American Samoa
Hawaiian Airlines commemorated last week the beginning of a special connection between two Pacific communities that began four decades ago.
The airline on Oct. 24 marked 40 years of service between Hawai‘i and American Samoa during a gateside ceremony at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
The event featured hula, music and remarks from airline officials.
Hawaiian Airlines inaugurated flights to Pago Pago International Airport on Oct. 24, 1984, with DC-8 aircraft, starting its long relationship with the U.S. territory.
The route also marked an important milestone in Hawaiian Airlines history by becoming the airline’s first regularly scheduled, nonstop trans-Pacific passenger service — preceding its flights between Honolulu and Los Angeles that launched the following year.
Hawaiian now provides two weekly flights between Honolulu and Pago Pago with widebody Airbus A330 aircraft.
Hawaiian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Joe Sprague joined employees who celebrated the anniversary alongside guests prior to the departure of flight HA465 from Honolulu the afteroon of Oct. 24 for the ceremony.
Festivities are also planned in Pago Pago, including a community service event.