April 22, 2008

On the final day of March 2008, I began a new journey and lost an old friend that I had shared many memories with.

I booked a routine flight during spring break, making sure to fly Aloha Airlines, wanting to assist them after their announcement of bankruptcy. I found myself, on the final day of a hectic spring break, realizing I would be on the final flight of Aloha Airlines from California to Maui.

For a decade, I had flown weekly with Aloha as part of my job, teaching political science and journalism. Aloha staff always helped me to be  where I needed to be. To hear, via a text message from a friend, that it was going to all be over in 24 hours, seemed unfathomable. Of course, my denial and sadness couldn’t match the despair and sheer turmoil as nearly 2,000 people in Hawaii found themselves without employment with a days notice.

I got to the airport early and was greeted with dozens of television vans documenting Aloha’s last flight. Once on board, the captain came on the intercom and talked with the passengers, saying, “It will be a memorable flight. Thank you for sharing the spirit of aloha.”

The co-captain then came on and said, “Thank you for showing up today. We just found out yesterday. We will make this our best flight ever.”

During the flight, anguish and despair was in the voices and on the faces of every Aloha employee. One of the highlights of the last flight took place when the pilot asked the passengers to look out the window; we could see Aloha’s sister flight accompanying us on its way to Lihue, Kauai. The pilot said, “we’re going to fly back home together.” The plane then flew underneath us and then up to the opposite side so the rest of the passengers could see it.

Being on the plane made me long for more moments of connection like this in our community. It is not enough just to feel this nostalgia; it’s a necessity to stand in solidarity. We must fly side by side with our fellow citizens of Hawaii every day.

The female pilot kept her promise on the arrival to Maui. While giving her swan song speech of appreciation to all the fellow employees, she soared like an eagle into the sky. Upon approaching the runway, as we were hovering just a few feet above the tarmac, she shouted, “Hana hou!” and rocketed back into the heavens, saying, “Let’s go visit Oprah’s property in Hana!”

After touring the valley isle and giving us a thrill with the power of the engines to kiss the sky, she gave us all a good laugh by saying, “It looks like the birds on the runway have moved and we’ll be able to land.”

When the last flight finally landed in Kahului, everyone’s laughter was mixed with tears.

One accumulates many memories after flying every week for a decade with the same airline. What is important is not to only reflect but also resolve to assist those employees who have been so negatively affected by the transition in our economy.

The Mahalo Picnic was a first step to let Aloha know we have not forgotten.  

We are witnessing the end of the oil economy. From sandalwood to sugar and service-oriented tourism, is it possible for the next “s” to be a sustainable economy? Perhaps it is the beginning of an earth economy. Peoples livelihood can be connected to our ‘aina with a motivation of caring for our natural environment. A sustainable Hawaii can allow people to have more control of what they do everyday.  

The closing words from the captain continue to ring true, “It’s a sad day for all of us. It’s been wonderful working with and for all of you.”

Joshua Cooper