Island Air (Hawaii)

Island Air
IATA ICAO Call sign
WP MKU MOKU
Founded1980 (as Princeville Airways)
Ceased operationsNovember 11, 2017
HubsDaniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL; Formerly known as Honolulu International Airport)
Secondary hubsKahului Airport (OGG)
Focus citiesHonolulu (HNL), Kahului (OGG), Līhuʻe (LIH) and Kona (KOA)
Frequent-flyer programIsland Miles (Formerly known as Cloud 9 & AlohaPass)
AllianceUnited Airlines, Aloha Airlines (Now Defunct)
Fleet size3 Bombardier Q400 NextGen Turboprop Aircraft
Destinations4
Parent companyPacifiCap
HeadquartersHonolulu, Hawaii
Key peopleDavid Uchiyama, President and CEO
Employees400+

Island Air (officially Hawaii Island Air) was a commuter airline based in Honolulu, Hawaii.[1] It operated scheduled inter-island passenger services in Hawaii. Its main base was the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport[2] on Oahu.

The airline maintained a code share and frequent flyer agreement with United Airlines. Hawaiian Airlines halted its commercial relationship with Island Air in 2012 when it announced plans to begin operating ATR 42 regional turboprop airliners in the islands under its own brand. Island Air also operated its own frequent flyer program, Island Miles (formerly Cloud 9).

Island Air ceased all operations on 10 November 2017 after 37 years of service between Hawaii's islands, carrying 13% of intra-Hawaii seats in the first three quarters of 2017, competing against Hawaiian Airlines carrying 80%. For the second quarter of 2017, Island Air posted an operating loss of $4.9 million and a net loss of $8.2 million, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 17 October as it couldn't find new investors to satisfy lessors Wells Fargo Bank Northwest and Elix 8 who want to repossess its five Bombardier Q400s, which replaced five ATRs.[3]

  1. ^ "Contact Information". Island Air. Archived from the original on June 5, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
  2. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. April 3, 2007. p. 95.
  3. ^ Jon Hemmerdinger (November 10, 2017). "Hawaiian carrier Island Air to cease operations". Flightglobal.