Hawaiian Airlines is expanding its interisland fleet with the addition of four
Boeing 717-200 aircraft “to better meet the needs of Hawaii's interisland travelers in the wake of the shutdown of Aloha Airlines on April 1.” Hawaiian currently operates a total of 150 interisland flights daily between the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii.
Two of the aircraft are expected to enter service in September, while the remaining two will join the fleet in November and December, respectively.
To meet immediate community needs in the wake of Aloha's collapse, Hawaiian expanded its interisland flight schedule by flying a long-haul
Boeing 767-300 wide-body aircraft between Honolulu and Maui as well as by flying an additional 717 usually held in reserve as a 'spare' aircraft to cover scheduled flying in the event of a delay. Hawaiian will continue these operations until the additional 717 aircraft arrive to make sure that seats remain available for interisland travelers.
Hawaiian also began recruiting flight crews and additional ground staff to support its expanded interisland operations immediately after Aloha's closure. To date, Hawaiian has hired 230 additional employees, a majority of whom are former Aloha employees, and is seeking to fill an additional 160 positions, including pilots, flight attendants, maintenance technicians, contract service and line service positions.