Mokulele Airlines Expands Fleet To Meet Growing Passenger Demand

Acquisition of two new Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft will enable airline to increase number of interisland flights to more than 100 per day.

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii, March 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Mokulele Airlines, Hawaii's low-cost interisland air carrier, has announced that it has purchased two new Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft to keep up with the growing demand for interisland flights from Hawaii residents and visitors.

"Our passenger loads have doubled in the year and a half since Transpac purchased Mokulele," explains Mokulele Airlines CEO Ron Hansen. "Since passenger demand is so great on all of our flights, we made the decision to purchase two additional Cessna Grand Caravans. We're currently offering about 80 flights per day and the new aircraft will make it possible for us to offer more than 100 flights per day between Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and the Big Island."

The fleet expansion will enable Mokulele to increase service between Honolulu and Molokai and Kahului and Hana airports on Maui. "We'll be hiring and basing more pilots out of Honolulu and hiring more customer service agents there, too," Hansen says. Mokulele already offers more flights in and out of Molokai, Kahului and Kona than any other airline serving Hawaii.

Mokulele will take possession of the new 2013 model year, nine-passenger Cessna Grand Caravans in March and April. The new aircraft will be equipped with the latest Garvin avionics equipment.

"We're very grateful that the enthusiastic response we've received from Hawaii's residents and visitors has made it possible for us to expand our service to them even further," Hansen concludes.