Hawaiian Airlines has hired 154 new workers since Aloha Airlines closed its passenger service and expects to add 202 more pilots, flight attendants and ground service positions as it continues to increase interisland flights.

Since Aloha shut down its passenger service on March 31, Hawaiian has increased its flight schedule by 50 percent, mostly in interisland travel, Hawaiian spokesman Keoni Wagner said. The result is an average of 28 new flights per day, Wagner said.

Hawaiian also increased capacity by using larger Boeing 767 jets between Honolulu and Maui.

"We put about 6,000 more seats into the market by increasing our daily schedule," Wagner said. "We did that by adding flights early and late in the operating day and also by pressing our wide-body aircraft into service between here and Maui, in addition to all of the 717 flights that were added."

Hawaiian already had planned its new Manila, Philippines, service, which began April 14. But it subsequently added another daily flight to Oakland, Calif., which began May 1, in response to Aloha's closure.

Hawaiian is trying to add even more planes through possible leases or purchases, Wagner said. "We have everything we've got flying," he said.

Phoenix-based Mesa Air, which operates go! airline, has added two regional jets to its Hawaiian fleet and 40 daily flights, for a total of 94.