Hawaiian Airlines Opens New IT Center in Arizona

Hawaiian Airlines today celebrated the opening of a new Information Technology Center in Tempe, Ariz., the carrier’s largest office outside its Honolulu headquarters.

The airline, which has offered daily nonstop flights between Phoenix and Honolulu since 2002, held a blessing to welcome 60 employees to its 15,000-square-foot center.  Airline executives say the new space complements Hawaiian’s technical capabilities in Honolulu and enhances the company’s ability to hire IT professionals from across the US mainland.

From left: Kevin Sullivan, executive vice president of sales and client services for the Arizona Commerce Authority, Peter Ingram, Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO, Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell; and John Jacobi, senior vice president for Information Technology at Hawaiian Airlines, at the dedication ceremony for the airline’s new IT center in Tempe, Ariz., on Monday, Jan. 6. PC: Hawaiian Airlines

“We appreciate the warm welcome we have received throughout Arizona in support of our IT center, and we are delighted to grow our business in a state we have enjoyed serving with nonstop flights to Hawai‘i for nearly two decades,” said Peter Ingram, Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO. “Our Tempe office will augment the core work of our Honolulu team to advance our IT systems across departments so we may continue to deliver the greatest value to our guests.”

Hawaiian opened a temporary IT office in Arizona early last year before moving to the current location two months ago. It plans to nearly double the staff at the center by continuing to partner with Arizona State University and other local educational institutions to offer IT internships and recruit positions ranging from software engineers and architects to database managers and business analysts.

“This new Hawaiian Airlines technology center is another significant addition to Arizona’s tech sector, which is growing at a rate 40 percent faster than the rest of the country,” said Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey. “We congratulate Hawaiian Airlines on their expansion in Tempe and look forward to their continued success in our state.”

Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell said, “We’re so honored that after a multi-state search, Hawaiian Airlines chose Tempe for its new IT center. It’s a testament to the terrific access to talent and competitive cost of living in our community. We’re pleased to welcome them and can’t think of a better place for these excellent tech jobs to land!”

“Hawaiian Airlines’ selection of Tempe for its new IT operation demonstrates the high quality of tech talent and pro-business climate our state provides to growing companies,” said Sandra Watson, Arizona Commerce Authority president and CEO. “We thank Hawaiian Airlines for investing in Arizona and creating new jobs for our residents.”

On Oct. 10, 2002, Hawaiian became the first airline providing daily, nonstop wide-body service between Phoenix and Honolulu. Today, Hawaiian serves the route with a 278-seat Airbus A330 aircraft.