Airline makes debut at John Wayne

Paul Clinton

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- Aloha Airlines’ first flight to Honolulu headed

out Tuesday with the blessing of a Hawaiian priest.

Reading from Psalms and placing a garland across the boarding gate,

the priest blessed the inaugural flight as a way to “bind our two

counties in quality air service.”

Tuesday’s flight touched off service from Orange County to Hawaii --

something the airline had tried to roll out for two years.

Aloha began lobbying airport officials in mid-1999, garnering a slot

on John Wayne’s waiting list. In June, Aloha qualified a modified Boeing

737-700 under the airport’s noise restrictions.

“For us, this is a big day,” said Glenn Zander, Aloha’s chief

executive, before takeoff. “It’s the culmination of two years of effort.”

Success for Aloha came April 3, when the Orange County Board of

Supervisors approved leases for the airline to operate three daily

departures -- two to Hawaii and one to Las Vegas.

For now, Aloha will fly seven-day-a-week flights to Honolulu and Las

Vegas. The third flight, to Oahu, will be added June 1.

Aloha’s entry as the airport’s 11th commercial carrier marks the first

time a new airline has set up shop at John Wayne in six years. Southwest

and Reno Airlines -- the latter since absorbed by United -- entered in

1995.

“At John Wayne, we see passengers headed to Oakland, Detroit and

Pittsburgh,” Assistant Airport Director Luan Lebow said during a Gate 9

luau Tuesday morning. “I have a feeling we will see a different look on

the faces of those headed to Honolulu.”

The airline brought the flavor of Hawaii to the airport’s Thomas F.

Riley Terminal for the celebration. Airline hostesses handed out

multicolored leis to honor Lei Day in Hawaii, and brought in a priest to

bless the maiden flight. Hula dancers and a ukulele player joined the

festivities.

Passengers booked on the 2,392-mile flight, about 85% full, were

ebullient about the new airline.

Dianne Farnam, who lives in Lake Forest, commutes to Hawaii every

couple of months as part of her job as a clinical researcher. Before

Tuesday’s trip, Farnam had to jump on a commuter flight from John Wayne

to Los Angeles International Airport or face a 2 1/2-hour drive up the

San Diego Freeway.

“I am so glad it’s out of John Wayne,” Farnam said moments before

boarding. “Now, I don’t have to go to LAX.”

Dan Ane also raved about the greater convenience of the service. Ane

drove from Long Beach with his family for a vacation trip.

“This is nice,” Ane said. “It only took me 20 minutes to get here.”