Hawaiian COO reflects on 30-plus year aviation career

Hawaiian Airlines Chief Operating Officer Jon Snook began his aviation career driving a forklift at the airport in Manchester, U.K., and now oversees all flight operations, in-flight services, maintenance and engineering, guest services and operations analytics at Hawaii’s hometown airline. Snook had retired after 28 years with American Airlines and initially viewed his Hawaiian post as temporary, but fell in love with the islands. “I really did fall in love with the company and people,” Snook reflected. “It fit squarely with why I loved my first airline job: I was giving people a level of service that meant they left my care happier than when they arrived…”