IMPORTANCE OF HEART RAROTONGA INAUGURAL MOANANUIĀKEA
A journey written in the stars
Tportation Safety Board (NTSB) work with a non-profit disaster relief organization and the domestic carrier(s) involved in assisting survivors of an aircraft accident and their families. A similar law governing foreign carriers operating in the United States was passed the following year. This led airlines to incorporate teams of specially trained volunteers into their response plans, which includes our HEART.
The HEART kuleana, however, transcends AFDAA requirements. Our team could be called upon to respond to an event that doesn’t involve our aircraft – or any aircraft at all.
“Because of our isolated location in the Central Pacific, we could be asked to respond to an incident involving one of our codeshare partners or any other airline without adequate local resources operating or diverting to a Hawai‘i airport,” noted
event or other non-aviation disaster.”
More than 360 Hawaiian Airlines teammates are trained to deploy as HEART members. Due to the magnitude of some emergencies and the availability of team members, it’s far short of the 700-member goal that would be ideal for a proper response, so new members are eagerly sought.
“Our wide-body aircraft carry a maximum capacity of nearly 300 passengers and crew, so in the worst-case scenario, we would need individual support for each family of those affected,” noted Director of Emergency Response Crystal Van Beelen. “When a major aircraft accident or other disaster strikes, we will need highly skilled and knowledgeable individuals ready to help those directly affected, while many others will be needed to ensure business and operational continuity.”
The diversity that makes us a strong company is also what makes HEART so valuable. Previous emergency management experience is not necessary – only a desire to help others. We provide extensive paid training with conveniently scheduled classes. However, to minimize business and operational
impact, employees seeking to join the team must first obtain approval from their supervisor. For more information, visit the HEART page on HApeople.
“While we hope that our employees will never have to face emergency situations, it is important that our guests, colleagues, and their family members receive the most appropriate and compassionate assistance,” added Crystal. “It’s part of the HEART mission statement to ‘hana pololei wale nō’ – just do what’s right.” ■
NOTE TO MANAGERS: In compliance with federal regulations to make personnel available to support passengers, crew, and families affected by an aircraft accident, we provide paid training for employees who join HEART. While we appreciate our supervisors allowing their employees to attend training classes and deploy as HEART members, we understand the need to maintain business and operational integrity, so we ask all volunteers to obtain approval as part of the application process.
Cabin Reveal 787
Last month, we revealed to our employees and the world a vibrant, transportive 787 interior design inspired by Polynesian voyaging. The curves, patterns, palette, and lighting evoke a journey touched by the ocean, sky, and canoe, with Hawai‘i just over the horizon. And, it includes our biggest step forward with our Premium Cabin offering — 34 enclosed lieflat suites known as Leihōkū (garland of stars).
AS CHIEF Marketing & Communications Officer Avi Mannis noted, while these thoughtful touches are key to an exceptional guest experience, “the cabin is the platform where we deliver the authentic hospitality on which our brand is built. It is a place of work for our Flight Attendants and Pilots. From those who maintain the aircraft and prepare it for departure, to those who care for our guests onboard, I hope you will find this new product makes it easier for us each to do our part to delight our guests.”
Our design story shows the path of this work. The “magic” — the aesthetics, the finishes, the emotion — is driven by our vision and the execution of industrial design firm Teague, while Boeing ensures that the products can be certified for installation and easily maintained aboard its aircraft.
“The project is so unique because it brings together completely separate parts of my life — my childhood growing up in Hawai‘i and my professional life in Seattle,” said Dave Anana, Boeing Payload Configurator. “I never envisaged that I could use the terms ‘Hale‘iwa’ and ‘787’ in the same sentence.”
“I’m so excited, I can’t wait to share this with my friends,” Dave added. “You’re gonna love this plane.”
“The intent behind every design choice was really important — things have to function but also look beautiful,” said Alisa Onishi, Senior Director of Brand & Community. “It’s a team of our Product Development folks and our engineers, the Boeing team as well as our friends from Teague, who helped interpret our design brief into materials, surfaces, and structures that would function on the airplane.”
The cabin reveal was warmly received by media, but perhaps even more so by our employees, who quickly scooped up tours of the Leihōkū Suite at Corporate Headquarters. The Premium Cabin suite product is the first to be developed by Adient Aerospace, a joint venture between Boeing and Adient, a world leader in automotive seats.
“I like that you can actually combine them when you’re flying with your significant other,” said A330 First Officer Rayiaz Khan. “All the materials feel really cool. It seems like a huge upgrade over our 330s.”
The wait for this reveal — the 787 fleet expansion was delayed years by the pandemic — certainly created an air of excitement.
“I’m just excited to show it to the employees,” said IFEC & Onboard Products Director Evan Nomura. “We’ve been keeping it under wraps for so long — it’s really exciting to see their reaction now that we’re finally public with it.” ■
L to R Lokesh Amaranayaka, VP of Airport Operations at Hawaiian, Honorable Robert Tapaitau, Deputy Prime Minister of Cook Islands, Kahu Keoni Martin, Mike Navares, Managing Director - Honolulu hub at Hawaiian.
