Friday, Hawaiian Airlines, Inc., a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (HA), said it held a special homecoming ceremony to welcome back the actual airplane that started it all for the company 80 years ago, a 1929 Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker.
The event featured congratulatory remarks from Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, a traditional Hawaiian blessing by Kahu Richard Kamanu, a hula performance, music by the Royal Hawaiian Band, and pilots and mechanics dressed in 1929-period uniforms.
Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian's president and chief executivce officer, commented, "For everyone who has ever worked for Hawaiian, the Bellanca is our ancestry and the history of pioneering aviation is in our DNA. It's part of what makes Hawaiian special, and a big reason why we are celebrating our 80th anniversary this year, a milestone that many of the world's iconic airlines never reached."
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