Hawaiian reports rise in passengers, revenue

Advertiser Staff

Hawaiian Airlines yesterday reported a solid increase in passengers for September compared with the same month last year.

Hawaiian's passenger count for September rose 5.4 percent over September 2002, to 426,530.

The company said it also saw a 30 percent increase in revenue passenger miles for the month, defined as one paying passenger transported one mile.

Hawaiian had 454,940,092 revenue passenger miles for September, compared with 350,692,966 for the same month last year.

The healthy numbers were released as the publicly traded company attempts to reorder its house and emerge from bankruptcy protection, which it sought in March.

Load factor, the percentage of seating capacity used, went up 15.5 percent, to 82 percent.

Aloha Airlines, a privately held company, does not release comparable passenger figures.

Hawaiian earlier reported that it earned $20.3 million in September, its best monthly performance for the year.

The two local airlines also announced new partnerships with Mainland carriers.

Hawaiian forged a partnership with Northwest Airlines to offer e-ticketing for mutual passengers, to be issued through the airlines' reservation centers. Travel agents should begin issuing Hawaiian-Northwest e-tickets by Oct. 18.

Hawaiian also announced a code-sharing partnership with America West Airlines, giving Hawaiian passengers boarding passes for both airlines when checking in from Hawai'i airports.

Aloha Airlines is issuing electronic tickets for itineraries that include any flight on United Airlines. Aloha and United issue the e-tickets at their reservation centers, airport locations and ticket offices.

Aloha already has e-ticketing agreements with American and Continental airlines.