Face of Hawaiian Airlines Brand Passes Away at 77

Miss Hawaii 1964 winner and inspiration behind Hawaiian Airlines’ iconic logo has died at 77. A Maui native, Leina’ala Ann Teruya Drummond was no stranger to the airline industry, having trained as a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant at 18 years old.

According to KITV, Drummond also graduated from Cannon’s Business College in Honolulu, where she later became a successful businesswoman. Her profile adorns the tails of 66 active Hawaiian jets, including the airline’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

It wouldn’t be an Hawaiian air show without Hawaiian Airlines. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mike Mangano)

‘Flower of the Sky’

Pualani – which means ‘Flower of the Sky’ in Hawaiian – is the inspiration behind the airline’s emblematic logo. Hawaiian would not roll out this design until the early 1970s before a 2001 update was made.

“Designed with input from the airline’s employees, the new Pualani is intended to reflect Hawaiian’s proud Island heritage with a sense of grace, elegance and caring. At the same time, her expression is seen to capture the strength, determination, spirit and confidence of the people of Hawaiian Airlines,” according to Images of Old Hawai’i.

Despite a handful of iterations, Drummond’s profile continues to serve as the inspiration for the airline’s logo. She leaves behind two children.

Miss Hawaii 1964 Leina’ala Ann Teruya and original Pualani “Flower of the sky” Hawaiian Air logo 1973
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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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