Hawaiian boss to take flight
Airline has enjoyed dramatic turnaround
Hawaiian Airlines boss Mark Dunkerley is certain about one thing he’ll be doing after his retirement from the airline next March. “The first thing I’m going to do is visit New Zealand for my customary March trip, fly rod in hand,” he said.
Dunkerley’s departure will end 15 years of leadership, during which the company dramatically turned its f ortunes around. Since December 2002, Hawaiian has doubled the number of passengers flown annually, to 11 million. Over the same period, the company’s gross revenue has increased four-fold, to US$2.64 billion and its head count has doubled, to 6600. During t hat t i me it embarked on an aggressive AsiaPacific growth strategy, adding services to Asian destinations and new routes to Sydney and Brisbane, New York City and Auckland.
The airline has been flying to New Zealand for nearly five years and around the time Dunkerley leaves, it will increase frequency from three
Htimes a week to five times.
Dunkerley has long had an affection for this country and its trout streams, which he may be able to get back to more frequently following his retirement.
He’s in his mid-50s and told the Herald he’s still figuring out what will come next. “At this stage, I truly have no idea what will emerge beyond the certainty that whatever it is, it will leave time for me to visit New Zealand, much as I’ve been fortunate enough to do in years past.”
He will be replaced as president and chief executive by Peter Ingram, who is currently Hawaiian Airlines’ executive vice-president and chief commercial officer.
Dunkerley is an accomplished aerobatics pilot and one of the perks of the Hawaiian job was flying select guests in the airline’s vintage original aircraft, a Bellanca Pacemaker.