Hawaiian Airlines CEO Update

Hawaiian Airlines president and chief executive officer Mark Dunkerley discusses the important role small independent airlines provide in offering choice to the consumer and delivering a competitive trading environment, but highlights the challenges gaining access to markets, including securing economically viable slots, gate access. He indicates that securing behind feed particularly in the Asian and Australasian markets can be a challenge against established larger rivals, but welcomes increasing understanding from regulators on the role smaller airlines play in providing competition. He highlights how new independent entrants can provide more competition in markets such as across the North Atlantic and the importance of them understanding their market, in Hawaiian Airlines case developing a high quality leisure-oriented product. Like many long-haul airlines, Mr Dunkerley, highlights Asia as the main growth region for future routes and capacity, in particular China and predicts it will overtake Japan as the largest source market for Hawaiian visitors.