Alaska Airlines draws thousands to annual Aviation Day events, including Hawaiian Airlines’ first
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Summary
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air have wrapped up annual Aviation Day events in Anchorage, Honolulu, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle, which take place each spring.
This year marked Hawaiian’s first Aviation Day in Honolulu, building on its history of youth engagement in the Hawaiʻi community.
With nearly 4400 participants in attendance across the five cities, Aviation Day provided youth with the opportunity to learn about careers in aviation and interact with employees across the business.
For the last 18 years, Alaska Airlines’ signature Aviation Day events have successfully engaged youth across its network with hands-on, employee-led events designed to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals. Held each spring in Seattle, Anchorage, Portland, San Francisco and now Honolulu, the full-day community gatherings provide youth with the opportunity to see aircraft up close and meet the airline’s amazing employees, as well as representatives from places like the FAA, local fire departments, fuel companies and local airports.
This year, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air welcomed nearly 4400 attendees across the five cities. This success reflects the incredible commitment of the combined carrier’s many pilots, flight attendants, and other employee volunteers, along with community and industry partners, whose time and energy helped create a meaningful and memorable experience for each attendee.
Hawaiian Airlines hosts Honolulu’s first-ever Aviation Day
In a first for the combined company, Hawaiian hosted its inaugural Aviation Day this year. Over 110 employees, including 70 Team Kōkua volunteers and 40 instructors, welcomed more than 300 local youth, along with their parents or chaperones, from public and private schools across the state to its Honolulu offices and maintenance and cargo facilities.
Attendees got an inside look at the carrier’s corporate roles, such as network planning, revenue management and airline catering and explored pilot preparation using advanced training and simulator technology, safety practices across maintenance and engineering, and flight attendant training that delivers a safe, exceptional onboard experience. They also learned about the vital role airport operations play in keeping Hawaiian’s network running smoothly and how Hawaiian Air Cargo transports critical freight to, from and within the Hawaiian Islands.
Throughout the day, youth engaged directly with employees as well as a dozen partners specializing in various aviation-related fields. At its core, the experience was designed to help every attendee see themselves and their future in aviation at Hawaiʻi’s carrier.
“Aviation Day is an opportunity to spark an interest in aviation that could last a lifetime. I’ve been in the industry for over 40 years and every day is exciting. It’s an amazing thing to take people to where they want to be and connect the world with aloha, and it’s a special experience to share that excitement with the next generation.”
In addition to Aviation Day, Alaska, Horizon and Hawaiian regularly collaborate with local organizations throughout Hawaiʻi and the U.S. West Coast to inspire students, empower career readiness and provide exposure to aviation careers year-round.
Highlights from 2026 Aviation Day events
Honolulu
Seattle
Anchorage
Portland
San Francisco
About Alaska, Hawaiian and Horizon
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, and McGee Air Services is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. We are a global airline with hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. We deliver remarkable care as we fly our guests to more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia, the Pacific and Europe. Guests can book travel at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com. Alaska and Hawaiian are members of the oneworld alliance. Members of our Atmos Rewards loyalty program can earn and redeem points with oneworld airlines and our additional global partners that serve over 1,000 worldwide destinations. Learn more about what’s happening at Alaska and Hawaiian at news.alaskaair.com. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as “ALK.”
