HONOLULU, Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Travelers to Maui will no longer have to puzzle over why Kahului Airport's three-letter airport code is OGG. They need only spend a few minutes at a new wall paying tribute to Capt. Jimmy Hogg, the Hawaiian Airlines pilot and aviation pioneer for whom the airport is named.
The 8-foot tall, 42-foot wide wall at Gate 19 was presented this morning by Hawaiian Airlines, the State Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which coordinated efforts to honor the Kaua'i native.
"We were approached with the idea of sharing the story of Captain Hogg's life and career by TSA employees in Kahului, who are asked questions everyday about the origin of OGG," said Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, Hawai'i's oldest and largest commercial airline. "Kahului Airport officials offered to provide us with the space and we were delighted to design this fitting tribute to Jimmy, whose epic career ran from the earliest days of commercial aviation in Hawai'i to the dawn of the jet age."
Born and raised in Līhu'e, Kaua'i on a sugar plantation, Hogg grew up watching airplanes land at Nāwiliwili and decided at the age of 12 that he was destined to become a pilot. He started his aviation career on Jan. 1, 1930 at Inter-island Airways as a mechanic's helper. He became a co-pilot in 1936, and captain the following year. He went on to achieve a series of "firsts" with the airline, which was renamed Hawaiian Airlines in October 1941. Hogg made the first commercial flight after the attack on Pearl Harbor, coming under ground fire from those mistaking his plane for an enemy aircraft. On Jan. 14, 1958, he flew Hawaiian Airlines' first trans-Pacific flight, delivering a DC-6 from the West Coast to Honolulu.
When the Civil Aeronautics Authority began to standardize airport navigational beacons after World War II, it turned to Hogg for assistance. In 1957, when it was decided that Kahului Airport needed a three-letter code, the CAA took the opportunity to honor one of the pioneers of Hawai'i aviation. Hogg retired from Hawaiian Airlines in 1968 and passed away at the age of 84 in 1992. A video recap of his life is available at http://youtu.be/I-gN4GBjOFs.
Anniversary Activities
The dedication of the Capt. Jimmy Hogg Memorial Wall at Kahului Airport kicks off a series of celebrations leading up to Hawaiian Airlines' 85th anniversary on Nov. 11, 2014.
On Oct. 4, 2014, Hawaiian Airlines will host an all-day community event at the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii in Hilo, the airline's first destination. Residents of Hawai'i Island are invited to enjoy the museum as well as live entertainment and exhibits. Weather permitting, free rides will be offered on the airline's original aircraft, a 1929 Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker.
Trivia contests via Hawaiian Airlines social media channels will offer prizes throughout the months of October and November, including drawings for free sightseeing rides on the historic Bellanca.
On Nov. 11, 2014, Hawaiian Airlines' Team Kōkua of employees will be participating in simultaneous community service projects on the islands of Kaua'i and Hawai'i.
"Hawaiian Airlines has been flying almost as long as the advent of commercial aviation, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year—both of which are remarkable achievements," said Dunkerley. "We thank our dedicated employees and our loyal customers, whom both are key reasons why Hawaiian Airlines is able to celebrate a successful and rich 85-year history of service to the Hawaiian Islands and the world."
Celebrating 85 Years of Service
On Nov. 11, 1929, Inter-Island Airways (the company changed its name to Hawaiian Airlines in 1941) launched Hawai'i's first-ever scheduled interisland air service using two Sikorsky S-38 amphibian propeller planes that carried eight passengers and two crewmembers, and had a top cruising speed of 110 MPH.
The company's inaugural flight 85 years ago from Honolulu to Hilo, with a stop on Maui, took one hour and 50 minutes. The first flight to Kaua'i was made the following day and all the Hawaiian Islands were soon receiving air service on a regular basis.
Along with being Hawai'i's first commercial airline, Hawaiian Airlines' 85-year history of service has featured several other notable achievements, including:
- Introducing airmail and air cargo service to the Hawaiian Islands in 1934.
- Becoming America's first federally certified air cargo carrier in 1942.
- Introducing Hawai'i's first aircraft with pressurized passenger cabins in 1952.
- Introducing Hawai'i's first interisland jet aircraft in 1966.
- Becoming the nation's first airline to operate a commercial flight with an all-female flight crew in 1979.
- Being the first Hawai'i-based airline to offer scheduled service between Hawai'i and the U.S. Mainland in 1985.
Today, Hawaiian Airlines has a fleet of 50 aircraft – 18 Boeing 717-200 jets for interisland flights in Hawai'i; 11 Boeing 767-300 and 18 Airbus 330-200 wide-body jets for transpacific and international service; and three ATR-42 for its new turbo prop service that launched earlier this year, 'Ohana by Hawaiian.
Hawaiian Airlines will have four more A330s joining the fleet by the end of 2015. By the end of year 2020, the airline plans to have 22 A330s total and 16 new narrow body A321 NEO aircraft, along with six new A330-800neo aircraft starting in 2019.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 10 years (2004-2013) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian the highest of all domestic airlines serving Hawai'i.
Now in its 85th year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawai'i's biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service from its primary visitor markets on the U.S. Mainland. Hawaiian offers non-stop service to Hawai'i from more U.S. gateway cities (11) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 160 jet flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands, with a total of more than 200 daily flights system-wide.
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com
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SOURCE Hawaiian Airlines