Hawaiian Airlines seems to be on a mission to be one of the coolest and biggest carriers in the pacific. Hawaiian’s latest endevour, designed to take on the new Island Air means business. Connecting the smaller islands of Molokai and Lanai to the other islands, a new fleet of turboprops will join the Hawaiian family, except under a difusion name ‘Ohana, (meaning family in Hawaiian).
This is exciting stuff, not only for the totally brilliant tail-fin design, fighting against boring ‘Eurowhite liveries’ with a vengance, but also for the fact the islands now have one of the best local networks in the world, offering seemless almost bus like schedules to all of the island communities. Commissioned by Hawaiian (Hilo) local father son team, Sig Zane, these aircraft are all about character and honouring its routes (pun intended) The design is also well thought through, and described cleverly on their site. The overal shape of the design created by the network lines between the islands, and the three ‘kapa patterns’ filling the shapes created by local cultural elements, Piko, Kalo and Manu.
From their new site launching the airline they state “The fleet of modern, ATR42 turboprop aircraft evokes some of the magic and nostalgia of a bygone era, soaring along scenic shorelines. Service aboard ‘Ohana’s 48-passenger twin-turboprop aircraft will feature the friendly, world-class service Hawaiian Airlines is famous for, delivered in a lighter, more casual local style.”
We are excited and can’t wait to fly a little more ‘local’ next time we are on the islands. Mahalo Hawaiian, Mahalo!
TheDesignAir 
Stunning! I welcome these kind of designs, such as the Fiji Airways one; the incorporation of traditional and cultural elements.