Hawaiian Airlines Logo PNG
The Hawaiian Airlines logo reflects the beauty and love of Hawaii. Long-distance flights can take travelers to unknown countries, but the heart will always call back. The emblem is filled with greatness and romance, calling for distant horizons.
Hawaiian Airlines traces its roots to January 26, 1929, when Stanley Kennedy founded Inter-Island Airways Ltd., linked to his father’s Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company. The first flight took place on November 11, 1929, using a Sikorsky S-38 amphibious aircraft from Honolulu to Hilo, with stops on Molokai and Maui, carrying eight passengers. During the 1930s, the airline built regular routes between the main Hawaiian islands, strengthening local air transport across the archipelago.
On October 1, 1941, Inter-Island Airways became Hawaiian Airlines. During World War II, it supported the US Armed Forces through charter flights. After the war, the fleet modernized with Convair 340 and Douglas DC-6 aircraft in the 1950s. In 1966, Hawaiian entered the jet age with the Douglas DC-9, cutting travel time between islands and changing interisland service.
The first international route came in 1984 with flights to Pago Pago, American Samoa. In 1985, Hawaiian expanded to the US mainland with the launch of the Honolulu-Los Angeles route. In the 1990s, the network added Las Vegas and Anchorage, but financial pressure led to Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2003. The airline reorganized and exited bankruptcy in 2005. In 2008, it began replacing older Boeing 767 aircraft with Airbus A330-200 jets.
Asian expansion started in 2010 with Tokyo and other cities, followed by a refreshed livery and logo in 2013. The Airbus A321neo aircraft joined the fleet in 2017, opening new West Coast routes. In 2018, Hawaiian ordered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to support longer international growth. By 2020, Hawaiian Airlines connected more than 30 cities across four continents and remained the largest airline based in Hawaii.
Meaning and History
The current carrier’s predecessor is Inter-Island Airways, a subsidiary of the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company. She was registered in January 1929 and began survey flights in October. Passenger service began in November of the same year, and a Sikorsky S-38 was used on the Honolulu-Hilo flight, with transit landings at Molokai and Maui.
The organization adopted its current name in 1941 when it replaced its older ships with more advanced ones. The air fleet renewal necessitated a rebranding of the emblem to replace it on the Douglas DC-3. Modern air transport was commissioned in 1952. It was the Convair 340. In the late 50s, older models appeared. In 1966, passengers began being transported on a Douglas DC-9-10 jet, which halved the route time.
Simultaneously with the air fleet, the emblems also changed: they became more progressive, colorful, and accurate. The last update took place in early May 2017. Then, alongside the logo, the company unveiled a new aircraft livery. Throughout Hawaiian Airlines’ history, it has had ten individual symbols.
What is Hawaiian Airlines?
It is the oldest airline in the United States and has never experienced a fatal plane crash. It operates commercial flights to Hawaii, connecting the state to the American mainland and a dozen other countries.
1929 – 1940
The logo, featuring the colors of the American flag at the top, displays a map illustrating the airline’s routes. Black lines and golden islands are on a red background. In the center, on a white stripe, is the inscription “Inter-Island Airways Limited,” denoting the carrier’s name. The letters are large and wide, with an original curved “S” and a miniature dash of the same shape. At the bottom, on a blue substrate, a winged Aeroflot symbol features a miniature badge between the wings. Below is the aircraft’s location: “Honolulu Hawaii.” The logo is shaped like a heraldic shield with a white border.
1940 – 1950
After changing the name to Hawaiian Airlines, the company immediately changed its image and identity. For the new logo, the designers chose an image of an airplane flying along the coastline and over a sailboat with rowers. The designers have given the badge a more pronounced heraldic-shield shape by adding two indentations to the upper part. The inscriptions are now italic, coherent, and handwritten. They are arranged in two rows: the top is on a red background, and the bottom is on a blue background. However, there is no clear boundary between the colors because the logo appears as a unified image rather than a collection of separate elements.
1950 – 1953
The logo of these years is based on Aeroflot’s winged sign, which was present in the debut version. But this time, the wings are located to the right and left of the first word in the airline’s name, “Hawaiian.” The second part (“Airlines”) is below and is handwritten in coherent italics. All elements are enclosed in an orange rectangle.
1953 – 1966
The red oval depicts a white gull heading to the right. She replaced the winged sign. The abbreviation “HAL” is written on the bird’s wing, which decodes the full name of the air carrier. Below is the inscription “Hawaiian Airlines.” It is written in uppercase block letters with a slight rightward slope.
1966 – 1973
The developers have completely transformed the logo, leaving nothing of the familiar elements. Now, a red plane flaunts the logo against a white background. The word “Hawaiian” is written on the board in white letters.
1973 – 1990
In 1973, the legendary renaming took place: the company was renamed Hawaiian Airlines. At the same time, the iconic emblem designed by Landor Associates was presented. Its code name is Pualani. The logo represents a red hibiscus flower, against which a girl is depicted in profile. She looks up, her head thrown back slightly, indicating the connection between the logo and the theme of flight. The girl’s face is white; her hair is brown; the flower in her hair is deep pink. Several brown dots are visible in the center, forming a decorative pattern. Below is the phrase “Hawaiian Air” in stylized letters. They are all connected except for the “W.”
1990 – 1995
The company reverted to its original name and replaced the inscription at the bottom, retaining the old style. The only difference is that now the name occupies not one but two rows. Another change has been made to the central part of the flower in the hair: instead of a dotted ornament, there is now a miniature star.
1995 – 2001
The developers have rearranged the elements of the logo. They placed the text behind the icon on the left and suggested a different color palette. Everything is brown, except for the logo authors, who made the text dark purple, repainted the background hibiscus in yellow, and replaced the old flower in the hair with a new one, symmetrical and with five petals.
2001 – 2017
In this version, all the elements are in their original places but are completely decorated differently. The girl’s head is detailed and slightly tilted to one side. The eyes, nose, lips, and eyebrows are now clearly visible. Hibiscus is depicted in the hair, and the background flower has become generic. Changes also affected the lettering, as the designers abandoned the continuous style and separated each letter. The authors added two long, sharp lines at the bottom of the word. This version of the logo uses purple, blue, and red-orange.
2017 – today
The design has become more sophisticated and detailed. The hibiscus flower is now realistic. The background flower is replaced by a circular gradient resembling the evening sun. The girl’s hair is elegantly styled, and her attentive gaze is directed upwards. The company name is located under the icon.
Font and Colors
Modifications to the Hawaiian Airlines logo are ongoing. Therefore, the girl from the abstract became realistic. The number of flowers was also reduced: the developers left the hibiscus in the hair and removed the background, replacing it with a gradient sun disk.
The writing style has evolved constantly. The logo featured different inscriptions, ranging from coherent italics to single letters. In one version, the characters were fused; in the other, they were printed with a slight rightward slant. Now, a unique font is used, with no analogs. The signature palette has always included shades that form purple: red, blue, and pink, which are still present in the emblem.