Mālama means to take care of, tend, protect, save, and maintain.

It’s a value intrinsic to Hawai’i’s culture and alludes to a greater responsibility we all have during our time on Earth. At Hawaiian Airlines, caring for our island home is a core value that drives us to adopt eco-friendlier practices throughout our company.

Our ongoing commitment to reduce our carbon footprint has led to impactful, company- and community-wide initiatives. Take a look at some highlights from our recent environmental endeavors that are making flying to Hawai’i even greener.

Telling a Story of Mālama ‘Āina Through Street Art

In conjunction with the POW! WOW! Long Beach 2018 festival, we commissioned the live painting of our first large-scale mural created by renowned local street artist Kamea Hadar. The piece tells a story of sustainability and the importance of protecting natural resources, drawing inspiration from the flow of water and the role it plays in giving life.

The mural is the first artwork to be unveiled in a series of upcoming sponsored pieces called “Mālama ‘Āina” (to care for the land).

Protecting Our Reefs with Raw Elements USA

To help minimize the impact of sunscreen on our reefs, Hawaiian Airlines teamed up with Raw Elements USA, a certified natural, chemical-free, reef-safe sunscreen company. This campaign, which kicked off in April 2018, supports our airline’s ongoing sustainability initiatives and reinforces our dedication to protecting Hawai‘i’s pristine natural resources.

Check out Raw Elements USA founder and CEO’s top tips on being an eco-traveler.

Caring for Island Earth with the Polynesian Voyaging Society

Hawaiian Airlines is a proud sponsor of The Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, a global initiative that involved 200-plus crewmembers who sailed Hōkūle‘a and its sister canoe Hikianalia using Polynesian wayfinding navigation as they engage communities with the goal of inspiring action to care for “Island” Earth.

Throughout the epic three-year voyage, we provided more than 32 million air miles for crew and cargo throughout an expansive route network in addition to monetary contributions to the Polynesian Voyaging Society. 

Tracking Climate Change on Our IAGOS Flights

In 2017, Hawaiian Airlines partnered with the In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS) project to measure climate change and air quality on a global scale. Guests who fly on our A330 aircraft, bearing registration N384HA, become part of a unique research initiative that gives scientists real-time access to large areas throughout the Pacific region where sample collection has been difficult.

The IAGOS system is located under the aircraft’s cockpit and attached to probes in the front-left fuselage that autonomously performs atmospheric air samples from take-off to landing and records key high-altitude greenhouse gas measurements. It also retrieves information about icing conditions that may be useful in aircraft safety studies.

Gaining Fuel Efficiency with Airbus A321neo and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Our fleet of A321neos boast an innovative model that is touted for its quiet engine, the Pratt & Whitney PurePower® Geared Turbofan, and boasts a greener, more aerodynamic build than its predecessors. In the end, we’re able to reduce our company’s fuel consumption and carbon emissions on a single flight by 16 percent compared to previous generation aircraft.

As we look to our future, we are excited to soon welcome a new fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners that use 20 percent less fuel than previous generation aircraft thanks to an innovative composite airframe and advanced technology.

Read our recent blog post on the A321neo and why it’s the perfect aircraft for our West Coast market.

Lowering APU Usage and Energy Reliance

Last year, we announced our commitment to reducing out reliance on jet fuel to power aircraft at the gate. Our initiative to connect parked aircraft to more efficient external electricity is significantly reducing pilots’ use of the onboard auxiliary power unit, or APU, which burns jet fuel to keep lights, avionics systems, air conditioning and other equipment on.

The ongoing effort has the potential to reduce Hawaiian’s APU usage by an estimated 30 minutes per flight, saving some 620,000 gallons of fuel annually and cutting CO2 emissions by 5,933 metric tons. That’s roughly enough fuel to fly the airline’s wide-body fleet for a day, while the carbon reductions equate to removing 1,253 cars off the streets each year.

Coral reefs are a nutritional hub for fish, mollusks, urchins and larger mammals, including human beings. They are also living organisms incredibly sensitive to environmental changes. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, more than 60 percent of coral reefs worldwide are at risk of being impacted by a variety of pollutants, including up to 6,000 tons of sunscreen that enters reef areas annually.

To help minimize the impact of sunscreen on our reefs, Hawaiian Airlines teamed up with Raw Elements USA, a certified natural, chemical-free, reef-safe sunscreen company. This campaign, which kicked off in April 2018, supports our airline’s ongoing sustainability initiatives and reinforces our dedication to protecting Hawai‘i’s pristine natural resources.

But we can’t stop there. Our Hawaiian Airlines ‘ohana encourages our guests to join us in growing a more sustainable future and become eco-friendly travelers every time they visit our shores.

Brian Guadagno, founder and CEO of Raw Elements USA

That’s why we talked story with Raw Elements USA founder and CEO Brian Guadagno, a 20-plus year ocean rescue lifeguard who realized there was a huge need for a natural sunscreen for ocean dwellers and active people like himself. He has since become a leader in ocean advocacy and continues to steward consumers nationwide to adopt an eco-friendlier lifestyle.

Brian shared his top tips on flying sustainably – from knowing how to buy a reef-safe sunscreen to knowing what to pack in your carry-on. Check them out below and get started on getting green!

Tip #1: Bring Reusable Containers

First, I never travel without an insulated water bottle. Having a reusable container keeps me from needing to use single-use plastics whether it’s for water, coffee or tea – hot or cold! I also try to pack my own snacks in reusable containers to avoid foods or meals that are packaged in a plastic wrapping.

Tip #2: Ask the Flight Attendant for the Can

When I want a drink, I usually ask if I can have the original bottle or can instead of having it poured into a plastic cup. If I really need a cup, most cabins have paper cups for hot coffee. Always decline the plastic straw.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: We also encourage our all of our guests to hold onto their plastic cups, if they opt to receive one. Reusing the cups allows our guests to join us in our company-wide effort to reduce our consumption of single-use plastics.]

Tip #3: Stash Eco-Friendly Products in Your Carry-On

The Raw Elements USDA Organic Herbal Rescue lip balm never leaves my pocket when I’m flying. I stash a stick and small can of our moisturizer in every travel bag I own, too!  

Tip #4: Say ‘No’ to the Plastic Bag

I almost always decline the plastic bag. To make it easier to say no, try packing a light backpack or reusable tote bag inside your suitcase to use when you’re out shopping and exploring.

Tip #5: Local Over Everything

When I’m traveling, I will always look and ask for locally sourced food and drinks. This is a great way to experience what the destination truly offers and to reduce your carbon footprint.   

Tip #6: Pack Plenty of Raw Elements USA Sunscreen

Raw Elements USA is the only sunscreen I ever pack. I know I’m protected naturally and utilizing ingredients that are as sustainable as possible. I’m an ocean lover so ensuring reef safety with my sunscreen use is huge.

Tip #7: …Or Buy a Bottle On-the-Ground

Forgot your Raw Elements at home? Don’t worry, there are other brands that do a great job too…you just have to know how to look for them. My best advice when buying a truly reef-safe sunscreen is to look for one that only uses Zinc Oxide as the active ingredient. To go one step further, look for Non-Nano Zinc Oxide on the label. If that is what you are using, you can be confident you are truly doing your part!

For more information on Hawaiian Airlines’ reef preservation initiative go to www.HawaiianAirlines.com/ReefPreservation

After reading through nearly 10,000 heartwarming, aloha-filled submissions, we’re thrilled to announce the winners of Hawaiian Airlines’ CeLEIbrate Aloha Photo Contest! Please join us in congratulating our grand-prize winner, Sharyce M. from our hometown, Honolulu!

The Instagram contest kicked off May 1, also known as Lei Day, one of the most beloved island holidays when friends and family gift each other lei as a symbol of sharing love and compassion.

To spread aloha far and wide, we encouraged our followers to post a photo with the CeLEIbrate hashtag and share how they have experienced the meaning of Hawai‘i’s most iconic word. The lucky grand-prize winner received 200,000 HawaiianMiles and a four-night stay at the Sheraton Waikīkī. The two finalists received a prize pack filled with Hawaiian Airlines gear.

Check out our three winners and their inspiring stories of aloha:

GRAND-PRIZE WINNER:  SHARYCE M.

Aloha is love. And this tiny human is the embodiment of all that is love and what it means to love. Almost a year ago, Ke Akua, God, bestowed upon me and my ohana, family, the greatest blessing we could ever receive, Maile Kealoha Akemi Matayoshi. From the very first moment we laid eyes on her, our hearts were overcome with pure joy and immense love. Looking at her now, you would never believe all that our little angel has endured in the first year of her life. She has undergone two surgeries, one for her heart and one for her lungs, and has spent over three consecutive months in various hospitals across the island. It's crazy to think how a life filled with adversities has truly changed our lives for the better. Because of her strength to fight, we have found our strength as a family. Although this past year may have been one of our toughest seasons as a family, we truly have found the meaning of aloha and what it means to live aloha. Experiencing first-hand the reality that tomorrow is never promised, I have never seen more love flow out of my family since the birth of our precious baby girl. From our newfound appreciation for all that life has to offer, to the unconditional love we possess in all that we are and all that we do, no matter what it may be, we exemplify the spirit of aloha because she has given us the ultimate reason to. She is love. She is aloha. And she is the reason we CeLEIbrateAloha every day.

FIRST RUNNER-UP:  STACI O.

The fifth-grade students sharing aloha with the tourists while on our annual fifth grade trip to Molokini. Our Aina Haina-based students are always happy to help the tourists out identifying creatures under the sea, tell about their school trip, ask about their vacation to Hawaii, and just generally spreading the love. The picture was taken moments after one of the students helped another young child, visiting from the mainland, to clear her mask after it filled with water. We fly Hawaiian every year and are always looking for ways to be grateful. This year when the class shared appreciations they recognized the chain reaction/ripple effect of spreading aloha. We talked about the moment you get out of bed and interact with your parent, to the experience you create with the people at the airport, to the kindness and patience you show other travelers…it’s all connected…we’re all connected. So when you show aloha to someone that person will then pass it on in their next interaction.

SECOND RUNNER-UP:  ANE P.

Your standard tourist photo. Thinking of a warm sunny place with this cold weather. Was planning on going to Hawaii again this year for my husband’s 30^th but our bank account told us to stay put…struggle is real, our aloha experience was real, the people, food, weather, shopping. On a trip back from Diamond Head we boarded the bus to drive to the next location. There was a Jeep that had driven over the concrete parking barricade and was hanging half on the carpark and half over a hill so our bus drive took our whole bus and detoured up the small and steep carpark. The whole bus jumped out to help pull the car back to safety… the car didn’t budge but A+ for effort. Driving back, everyone back running off adrenaline. That day the driver didn’t have to stop, he could have just kept going, but that wasn’t the local way. They see people who need help, they stop, and that’s something that stuck with us. Before we left to come back home we stopped and bought that bus driver an Australia bottle of wine. We knew his bus route and sure enough there he was. Thanks for tuning in guys.

As Hawai‘i’s hometown carrier, Hawaiian Airlines proudly supports several organizations that move mountains in our local communities. We consider ourselves stewards of these Islands – a special place many of our guests also hold close to their heart – and want to make it easier for others to carry the torch too.

With the click of a button, you can gift your unused HawaiianMiles to some of our state’s most beloved nonprofits. Your donation provides direct, real-time support to these organizations so they may provide the services that communities statewide need to grow and thrive. Keep reading for more on our HawaiianMiles giving program and to learn how you can make your first donation.

Already know how to donate your HawaiianMiles? Click here to get started!

The HawaiianMiles donation program supports the Coral Reef Alliance’s (CORAL) cross-collaborative, reef conservation initiatives between the neighbor islands and the U.S. mainland. Pictured above, the Hawaii Island field team joined the Hui O Ka Wai Ola on Maui for a day to conduct water quality testing of our nearshore resources.

When did Hawaiian Airlines start its miles-donation service?

The program launched in 2005. In 2017 alone, we gifted over nine-million miles to our partner charities via HawaiianMiles members and our company’s annual match.

How are the HawaiianMiles donations distributed to the charities?

All donated miles go directly into the organization’s HawaiianMiles account.

What are my choices for charities?

Hawaiian Airlines is dedicated to supporting local organizations deeply rooted in the well-being of our communities. We have strong relationships with several nonprofits throughout the state, and are proud to benefit the following select organizations:

• American Cancer Society Hawaii
• American Red Cross of Hawaii
• Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii
• Blood Bank of Hawaii
• The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL)
• Friends of Hokule‘a and Hawai‘iloa
• Hawaiian Humane Society
• HUGS (Help, Understanding, and Group Support)
•  
• Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project
• National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii
• Shriners Hospital for Children of Honolulu
• Special Olympics Hawaii
• Surfrider Foundation – Oʻahu Chapter

When disasters strike, the people of Hawai‘i know that Red Cross will be there to respond. Donated HawaiianMiles enable Red Cross to bring hope and comfort to disaster victims by allowing staff and volunteers to travel for training, planning, and disaster response. This helps the Red Cross save on expenses so that more resources can be used towards their humanitarian mission.

Are there fees for donating HawaiianMiles to a charity?

HawaiianMiles holders are not charged any fees when donating miles to charities.

How can I get started?

First, we recommend looking at your HawaiianMiles bank and deciding how many miles you’d like to donate. There is no minimum amount, and your donation can be submitted anonymously. You can click here to select your organization of choice.

Can I donate my miles to a family or friend instead?

Yes. Our Share Miles program allows you to give your HawaiianMiles to anyone’s personal HawaiianMiles account. For more details on how you can share your miles, click here.