Japan Airlines Celebrates 40 Years Of 767 Service

This month, Japan Airlines celebrates 40 years of 767 service. Their first 767, JA8232 (c/n 23213, l/n 118), a 767-246, was delivered in August 1985, and entered service in November 1985. It was one of three 767-246s. Japan Airlines also has 27 767-346ERs currently active in their fleet. The airline has one 767-346ER flight from NRT to HNL, JAL784/783.

Hau‘oli Lā Hānau Hawaiian Airlines!

Hau‘oli Lā Hānau! Hawaiian Airlines celebrates its 96th anniversary today.

Happy 250th Birthday US Army!

Today marks the 250th birthday of the United States Army! We express a hauʻoli lā hanau and māhalo to the men and women who serve, have served, and sacrificed to defend our nation, and keep our freedoms.

Hauʻoli Lā Hānau Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines celebrates its 100th birthday today. Their centennial began as an aerial crop-dusting company in Macon GA as Huff Daland Dusters on this day in 1925, and became Delta Air Lines three years later. It would not be until 1929, before Delta began passenger operations.

Delta's foray into Hawai‘i began in 1984, and increased their presence as they acquired Western Airlines. They took over Western's routes with their DC-10s. Delta eventually began flights from further east in their route network with L-1011 TriStars, which replaced the DC-10s. The TriStars were replaced by 767-300ERs and 767-400ERs. Delta's routes and fleets further expanded after their merger with Northwest Airlines was completed in 2010. Delta's current flights from Hawai‘i serve ATL, MSP, JFK, DTW, SLC, LAX, SEA, and HND. Delta's fleet service to Hawai‘i also includes 747-400s (retired), 757-200s, 757-300s, A330-300s, A330-900s, A321-200Ns, and A350-900s.

Hauʻoli Lā Hānau Hawaiian Airlines

Hauʻoli Lā Hānau! Hawaiian Airlines celebrates its 95th anniversary today. The above logo decal will be affixed near the L1 door of each aircraft.

Hauʻoli Lā Hānau 204th Airlift Squadron

The Hawaiʻi Air National Guard's 204th Airlift Squadron "Nā Pueo", of the 154th Wing, celebrates its 30th Anniversary today. Activated in 1994 to support the Hawaiʻi-based Army and Marine Corps units with eight C-130Hs, as well as humanitarian relief regionally and internationally.

In 2008, eight C-17As replaced the C-130Hs, and also became a joint service unit with the active duty 535th Airlift Squadron "Tigers" / 15th Wing.

C-130 Celebrates 70 Years Of Service

Today marks the 70th Anniversary of the first flight of the Lockheed C-130A Hercules. This tactical airlifter has gone through many upgrades throughout the decades, as well as filling a variety of roles from cargo airlift, firefighting, gunship, search and rescue, and used in the commercial sector. The legacy of the Hercules carries on with the J-model Super Hercules.

In Hawai‘i, the C-130 was with the 204th Airlift Squadron of the Hawai‘i Air National Guard. "Na Manu Ikaika" had eight C-130Hs from 1994 to 2008, when it was replaced by the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III.  The C-130 tail flash included a pueo (or Hawaiian owl) painted on the rudder portion. 

Currently, the US Coast Guard's 14th District at Air Station Barbers Point (Kalaeloa Airport) have four HC-130Js that entered service in 2018. They replaced four HC-130Hs that were the mainstay of the USCG's air wing in the islands.

The US Marine Corps' VMGR-153 "Hercules" was re-activated in January 2023 as a new unit to Marine Air Group 24, 1st Marine Air Wing, that is based at Marine Corps Air Station Kāneʻohe Bay. The unit is scheduled to have 17 KC-130Js delivered by the end of 2025.

C-130s from various US armed forces units, foreign armed forces units, and civilian operators have stopped through the airports and military bases in Hawai‘i, and continue to do so.

Hau‘oli Lā Hānau Jetstar Airways

Jetstar Airways is celebrating its 20th anniversary today. The Qantas Group low-cost subsidiary launched A330-200 service to HNL from SYD in Dec 2006. Nine years later, Jetstar upgraded to the 787-8, and now serves HNL from SYD (JST3/4), and MEL (JST1/2). They also had service between BNE and HNL (JST5/6), but was short-lived.

Hau‘oli Lā Hānau Hawaiian Airlines

Hau‘oli Lā Hānau! Hawaiian Airlines celebrates its 94th anniversary today.

Otanjoobi Omedetoo Gozaimasu All Nippon Airways!

All Nippon Airways celebrates their 70th anniversary today. The airline began service to HNL in the late 1980s with 747-200Bs, and have gone through Boeing 767-300ERs, 777-200ERs, 777-300ERs, 787-8s, and 787-9s throughout the years. ANA is the only airline to have regularly scheduled Airbus A380 service to HNL.

Further 70th anniversary features on ANA's Instagram page.

Hau‘oli Lā Hānau Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines celebrates its 92nd birthday today. It was on this day in 1929, that Inter-Island Airways made its first passenger flight.

Hau‘oli Lā Hānau Southwest Airlines!

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines celebrates its 50th anniversary today.

The airline also unveiled a new flag-liveried 737-8H4, with the Amercan flag "Freedom One" livery painted on N500WR (c/n 36898, l/n 4967, f/n 500).

Further details in this Southwest Airlines press release.

Hau‘oli Lā Hānau Hawaiian Airlines!

Today, Hawaiian Airlines celebrated its 90th anniversary of its first commercial inter-island flights.

As part of the celebrations, the airline held a 717-200 plane pull at Castle & Cooke Aviation, that benefitted local charities. The airline also held a commemorative flight from HNL to OGG and ITO as HAL1111.

Further information in this Hawaiian Airlines press release.

Van Harte Gefeliciteerd KLM!

Today, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines celebrates its 100th anniversary! Though KLM does not serve Hawai‘i, their SkyTeam partners do.

Above, is my lone photo of a KLM airliner, a 747-406M, PH-BFE "Melbourne" (c/n 24201, l/n 763, f/n FE-027), captured on final for LAX's Runway 25L.