Hawaiian Airlines Recognized in Anniversary of Mission to Evacuate Afghans Fleeing Taliban

Hawaiian Airlines employees this week were recognized with U.S. Air Force commemorative coins for their role in last year’s evacuation of thousands of Afghans fleeing the Taliban regime, the company announced Sept. 2.

Hundreds of Hawaiian employees supported the U.S. Department of Defense Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) humanitarian mission last September. Over six days, they operated 13 flights on two Hawaiian wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft and welcomed more than 3,000 Afghans arriving from Europe at Philadelphia and Dulles international airports, transporting them to the safety of military bases in Indiana, New Mexico, Texas and Wisconsin.

“As we commemorate the first anniversary of this historic event, we recognize the tremendous efforts of so many teammates who sprang into action on short notice to support this effort,” Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram said during the ceremony held at the company’s Honolulu headquarters. “Mahalo for your continued dedication to our company, our guests, and each other.”