Hawaiian Says G'day To Brisbane, Adding Second Australian Gateway

HONOLULU, June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawaiian Airlines will begin offering nonstop flights between Honolulu and Brisbane, Australia, three times weekly starting Tuesday, November 27, 2012, becoming the only US carrier to operate service to Brisbane.

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Adding Brisbane service will increase Hawaiian's weekly flights between Honolulu and Australia to 10, with daily services already operating to Australia's largest city, Sydney.

President and CEO Mark Dunkerley said Brisbane would serve not only as the airline's second gateway to Australia but also as an important new source of tourism to Hawai'i.

"Australians love Hawai'i as a holiday destination, and visitor numbers have grown steadily since Hawaiian inaugurated service on the Sydney- Honolulu route in 2004," Dunkerley said. "That service reawakened Australian awareness and interest in Hawai'i, which had been under-served for over a decade.

"Competitors followed us and now, eight years later, Hawai'i is one of the most popular and fastest growing international holiday destinations for travelers from Australia," he said. "The Brisbane gateway will provide much easier access to Hawai'i for residents of the State of Queensland, and more convenient connections for travelers from a number of other Australian states."

Hawaiian's new Brisbane service will add more than 40,000 seats annually between Australia and Hawai'i, and increase its total seat numbers from Australia by 38 percent.

Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA), commented, "Hawaiian's starting of service between Brisbane and Honolulu is great news for our tourism economy, as this new route will provide better connectivity for Australians to visit the Hawaiian Islands. Hawai'i continues to be a popular destination in Australia with arrivals for first quarter 2012 increasing 55 percent over last year. We anticipate this flight to contribute to this continual growth and expansion, and wish Hawaiian success on this new route."

The HTA estimates that Hawaiian's Brisbane- Honolulu service will generate $83 million in visitor expenditures and $9 million in tax revenue annually for Hawai'i.

Centrally located on Australia's east coast, Brisbane is the capital city of the State of Queensland, home of the world-famous Great Barrier Reef, world heritage listed rainforests, iconic outback locations and the renowned leisure regions of the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

Brisbane also is a key hub for onward travel throughout Australia, and Hawaiian's new flights will be timed to connect with same-day services throughout Queensland and to other states, through an interline partnership with domestic carrier Virgin Australia.

Ticket sales for the new service will commence at a later date to be announced.

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