Home for the holidays: A Hawaiian Airlines pilot’s Thanksgiving reflections

Growing up island hopping and now flying Boeing 717s, Captain Wailani celebrates how aloha and ʻohana take flight across Hawaiian Airlines’ Neighbor Island network during the festive season.

The company of friends and family is what makes the festive season warm and bright. For Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 Captain Wailani W., helping people reunite across the Neighbor Islands during the holidays is more than just part of the job — it’s a way to honor the spirit of community and togetherness that defines life in Hawai‘i.

Born and raised on Oʻahu, Wailani has proudly piloted Hawaiian’s Neighbor Island routes since 2022 — a decision that has kept him close to the people and places he loves most.

“Sometimes when I’m flying, I think about being a kid and taking the DC-9 to visit family on the other islands. Now, as a 717 pilot, I take a lot of pride in helping kamaʻāina (residents) and local families make similar travel memories — especially during the holidays.”

During the Thanksgiving travel period, we’ll operate up to 150 Neighbor Island flights daily, as early as 5:30 a.m. and as late as 9:30 p.m., to ensure our guests reach their Hawaiʻi holiday destination with ease. While our local network helps bridge the Neighbor Islands and Hawaiʻi’s remote communities year-round, that connectivity carries even deeper meaning during the holidays.

“On the 717, we take a lot of pride in serving guests from all over by providing them with a safe and comfortable Neighbor Island travel experience so they can be with loved ones for life’s most important shared moments,” Wailani explained.

“There’s definitely a stronger sense of togetherness onboard this time of year, and it reminds me how special and unique our Island home is,” Wailani added. For him, every Neighbor Island trip is more than just another flight — it’s an opportunity to welcome every guest with aloha and keep Hawaiʻi connected.

“We’re all ʻohana at Hawaiian Airlines, and weʻll welcome every passenger this Thanksgiving as a part of that ʻohana.”

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