Hawaiian Airlines reports it generated $10B in economic activity for state

Within twelve months, Hawaiian Airlines stimulated $10.2 billion worth of economic activity in Hawaii – about 11% of the state’s gross domestic product, the airline’s 2022 economic impact report has said.

Published in February 2023, the report was commissioned by Hawaiian and produced by ICF, a global consultant with experience in aviation and other industries. The report analyzed full-year data from October 2021 through September 2022.

“Following several years of uncertainty because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is also a story of resilience. Hawaiian Airlines led through the uncertainty of COVID-19, keeping its people employed, continuing to support local industry and business, providing local jobs and training, and transporting cargo and supplies,” the report said.

The report is titled ‘No Kākou a Pau’, which means ‘interconnectedness’, to illustrate the ways in which the airline is connected to the economy of its home state.

According to the report, Hawaiian Airlines was directly or indirectly responsible for 53,500 jobs in the state during 2022, despite enduring challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline currently directly employs 7,000 workers, 90% of them residents of Hawaii.

From October 2021 to September 2022, Hawaiian Airlines carried 9.4 million passengers to, from and within the islands (including 1.6 million visitors), supporting nearly one-third of the state’s 128,000 tourism-related jobs and generating more than $600 million in Hawaii state tax revenue.

The airline was named by Forbes as Hawaii’s best state employer for 2022, and has been providing commercial air service in the islands since 1929.