AIRLINE SYMPOSIUM REVIEWS AIRLIFT ‘LIFELINE’
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) recently sponsored the 19th International Airline Symposium at the Hawaii Convention Center. It was held Oct. 16-19 and about 50 senior executives from airlines and related industries gathered to address challenges and opportunities facing the airline industry worldwide.
In 2013, new direct routes to Honolulu, Kahului (Maui) and LÄ«hue (Kauai) were added from major cities including Auckland, Calgary, Taipei and Tokyo. Scheduled nonstop air seats into Hawaii are expected to rise 1.4% in the fourth quarter with an overall increase of 5.4% by year end. The HTA anticipates continued growth in 2014 that will include the launch of new direct flights from Beijing to Honolulu by Air China and Hawaiian Airlines. The HTA continues to monitor how the new generation of aircrafts entering the market will affect Hawaii for all industries, especially tourism.
“As an island state, airline access is the lifeline that supports our tourism industry. It is critical that Hawaii has adequate airlift to meet and grow demand for travel to our state as well as support commerce,” said Mike McCartney, president of the HTA.
