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.

When we think of the modern-day woman, we think of Hawaiian Airlines Executive Chef Lee Anne Wong: an avant-garde entrepreneur, a new mom of a beautiful baby boy, and a true maestro at her craft.

We first welcomed Lee Anne into our ‘ohana when she joined the Featured Chef Series in 2015 as guest chef under former Executive Chef Chai Chaowasaree. She had worked in kitchens throughout New York City and gained national attention when she appeared on Season One of Bravo’s flagship series “Top Chef.” She didn’t stop there, later joining the behind-the-scenes production of the series as the supervising culinary producer for six whole seasons.

Outside of the Hawaiian Airlines kitchen, Lee Anne continues to push the boundaries and put Hawai‘i on the map as a leading culinary destination. She runs the show at Koko Head Café, her first restaurant that has become a diehard favorite among kama‘āina (locals) and visitors alike. The popular spot’s menus emphasize her mastery of sweet and savory flavors, earning critical acclaim and a line that snakes around the block every weekend morning.

Keep reading to discover how Lee Anne Wong got her start, and stay tuned for more of her culinary adventures!

Tell us about growing up in New York. 

I grew up in upstate Troy, New York. It was a pretty good suburban upbringing…. lots of organized sports like softball, soccer. I even played boys' ice hockey for 10 years!

While I was not interested in cooking when I was a kid, I indulged in all of your classic American foods like hot dogs and pizza. I thought jalapeño poppers were the most amazing thing ever when it first emerged on the fast food scene. It wasn't until I moved to New York City for college that I started to develop my palate and become interested in cooking. 

Me and my husband Lyle indulging in Hokkaido cherry tomato shave ice

As a child, did your family do a lot of cooking? If so, how do you pull inspiration from the memories of your family’s cooking?

My culinary genes definitely come from mother’s side of the family. My mom is an amazing self-taught home cook. She was born and raised in the Philippines – though we are 100 percent Chinese – and immigrated to the United States in her twenties after completing nursing school. My father is fourth-generation Chinese-American and only knows how to fry bologna.

#TBT: A photo of me when I was a contestant on Bravo TV's Top Chef

Interestingly, I never cooked much with my mom but really enjoyed the food she made. I remember she was obsessed with cooking shows and food magazines, and I would come home from school to find her baking with the TV on (usually with Jacques Pepin, Martin Yan, Julia Child, or sometimes the Galloping Gourmet). She was always trying something new in the kitchen, but I had my favorites: roast beef with popovers, goulash and dumplings, and shoyu (soy sauce) chicken wings (her go-to party dish).

How did you start your career as a chef?

I have been working in restaurants since I was 15, but I didn’t begin cooking until I was 20. At the time, I was bartending at a restaurant in Greenwich Village when I decided I had fallen out of love with my budding fashion design career. I was also living in a 200-square foot apartment in Times Square that only received basic TV channels, including (by some miracle) Food Network. I started obsessively cooking for whoever was around and, soon enough, my friends suggested I attend culinary school. I ended up staying in the city and attending The French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center). Not long after, I landed my first job with Marcus Samuelsson at Aquavit. 

Being at the center of the culinary scene, how did working in New York City have an influence on you becoming a chef?

There is always so much happening in New York City and, having lived there for 20 years, I had access to almost every food imaginable. I could just obsess about it all the time because I was surrounded by this energetic and monstrous culture that is New York’s culinary scene.

I also lived in Queens for 16 years, which was great because it's one of the most ethnically diverse boroughs in the city. You could always find incredible, authentic foods – ones that tell a story and share history through its flavors and presentation – off the beaten path there.

Selfies at the Hawai‘i Food and Wine Festival over the years

When you go back home to NY, what three places are you’re going to as soon as you land?

• Russ and Daughters, the quintessential Lower East-Side delicatessen. They also have a cafe a few blocks away, which is one of my favorites. If I'm on-the-go, I always find time to stop at the original location for a smoked sablefish on a toasted everything bagel with caviar cream cheese. 
• Katz's Delicatessen, which is open 24 hours. Three words: Pastrami on Rye. 
• Gramercy Tavern…simply the best. 

Let’s fast forward to your life here in Hawai‘i – what brought you over 4,000 miles across the country?

I moved to Hawai‘i in December 2013 in search of something new. I have ‘ohana here in Honolulu so it was nice for the first time to have family close by after living alone for 20 years. We opened Koko Head Café in March 2014 and that's kept me busy since then.

Kokohead Cafe's local fruit and granola plate, made with poi yogurt, pink dragonfruit, white pineapple, Makaha mango, apple banana, Kula strawberries, house-made coconut-candies, mac nut yogurt, Christmas berry honey, mint, and lime zest.

We love that your menus place a huge emphasis on sourcing fresh, local ingredients from small farmers, ranchers and fishermen. What are your favorite locally grown ingredients to work with (both in Hawai‘i and NYC), and how are these incorporated into some of your dishes?

Hawai‘i is truly a special and unique place; we are able to grow so many things year round in the wonderful micro-climate.

A few of my favorite things grown here are: heart of palm, finger limes, lilikoi, kalo (taro), and ‘ulu. We (Koko Head Café) always incorporate local, seasonal ingredients into all of our dishes to showcase the best that Hawai‘i has to offer. And how could I forget mango?! It’s mango season right now* and I’m so excited! We’ve had mango all over our specials menu, which is changed daily.

One thing I miss about New York though is the more extreme seasonality. Ingredients like ramps, English peas, Tri-Star strawberries, and morel mushrooms are like these old friends I never get to talk to unless I go back (to NY) in the spring and summer.

My husband helping me prepare dinner at the 2017 Maui Chefs Invitational at The Mill and Maui Tropical Plantation

Koko Head Café is a wildly popular brunch spot among both kama‘āina (locals) and visitors, known for its variety of mouth-watering, creative dishes. Having started your career in The Big Apple, a top destination for brunch fanatics, how have you incorporated your inspirations from NYC into your dishes here in Honolulu?

There's New York attitude all over the menu! The idea of putting dumplings on the menu stems from the fact that, if offered a plate of bacon and eggs or a basket of dim sum at 7 a.m., I am always going to go for the dim sum. It was one of my favorite types of breakfast when I lived in New York.

Our Reuben Frittata (Reubens are a New York staple) is made from local eggs, house-cured local beef pastrami, Emmentaler cheese, caramelized onions, and topped with an "eight-island" sauce (our version of 1000 island) and a caraway-scented kimchi sauerkraut. I got the idea for our Handwich when I arrived here and couldn't find an egg sandwich on a sandwich roll anywhere. It’s an on-the-go must-have for most morning commuters in the City. 

You’ve recently partnered on a new poke restaurant in NYC called Sweet Catch – was that inspired by living and cooking in Honolulu?

I am a consulting partner with Sweetcatch Poke NYC. The owners and I wanted to bring authentic Hawaiian-style poke to the masses, focusing on sourcing fresh, sustainable seafood, pre-marinating our fish, and selling poke by the pound.

Our signature marinades and toppings allow the diner to have a super traditional bowl of poke, like what you'd find here, or customize the poke to their tastes. I wanted to make a product that any Hawaiian living in New York would be happy to grind on. 

A look back at my Japan in-flight menu for Hawaiian Airlines

Let’s switch gears now and talk about your role as Executive Chef – congratulations! Having cooked in kitchens around the world with thousands of different ingredients, what do you now find are the biggest challenges of creating an in-flight menu? How do you address them?

I am so excited to continue my partnership with Hawaiian Airlines and embrace my new role as Executive Chef! Some of the challenges I faced, and continue to face, in creating my inflight menu include making sure everything is well-seasoned and flavorful, as the taste buds are diminished at high elevation, working with limited packing space, and simplifying the number of steps it will take the cabin crew to plate and garnish the dish as it was intended to be presented to the guest.

While my menus include seasonal and colorful ingredients, I also try to be conscious of allergies and dietary restrictions. For example, I don’t use peanuts on any of my dishes and try to offer gluten-free options. 

What were the biggest inspirations behind your in-flight menu?

I’m inspired by the melting pot of cultures that exist here. Being at the heart of the Pacific, modern Hawaiian cuisine reflects the communities – Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Filipino, to name a few – who have made Hawai’i their home throughout history.

Mea Ho‘okipa (meaning ‘I am host’) is at the center of everything Hawaiian Airlines does, providing guests with a special opportunity to experience authentic Hawaiian hospitality even before they begin their trip. Tell us, how do you incorporate Mea Ho‘okipa throughout your everyday cooking (whether for your family, friends or guests in your restaurants)?

Mea Ho'okipa courses through my veins (haha)! Every day, we cook with aloha at Koko Head Café. I think I get the biggest satisfaction from just interacting and meeting the people who come into the restaurant. I love talking story with my guests and having the opportunity to feed them something they have never tried before.

At home, I am always at the stove and my friends and family are constantly telling me to "stop working" or "sit down and rest,” but I don’t really know how to. Now that I'm a new mother, I have been learning how to take a back seat and let other people take care of me so I can focus more on my son. 

Meet my little ‘ohana!

*Mango season in Hawai‘i typically begins in May with a peak season in July.