We are celebrating the people at our cargo stations across the states of Hawai’i and Alaska, and the communities they serve. For more stories in this series, check out our People of Cargo.
STATION SPOTLIGHT: Kahului, Maui (OGG)
STATION FACT: Hawaiian and Alaska Air Cargo teams have been co-located in Maui since January 2025, creating a single location for customers to drop off and pick up freight, as well as access to 10 nonstop destinations and our global network. Station details.
TEAM SPOTLIGHT: Ferdinand, chief cargo agent, who has worked with Hawaiian Airlines since 2007, and Ramana, a Hawaiian Air Cargo agent since January 2024.
HAWAI’I LIFE: Both Ferdinand and Ramana grew up on Maui and are deeply rooted in their communities. Ferdinand coached youth sports in Lahaina for many years, and in addition to being a cargo agent, Ramana has two jobs that keep him close to the ʻāina — the land. He and his wife make Maui Coconut Candy, which is sold at stores and online, and they help manage the farm, farm stand and trails to the area popularly known as Twin Falls in Huelo, Maui. “I love growing whatever I can that can be beneficial to the community,” Ramana said. “It’s prime growing conditions for a lot of wet-loving plants like bananas, ulu [also called breadfruit], avocados.”
EVERY DAY, our Kahului team works hard to take care of their cargo ‘ohana — the extended family of Maui businesses and residents who rely on us for the timely shipments that sustain their livelihoods. But two years ago, when wildfires devastated the town of Lahaina, it was the Maui ‘ohana who showed up for members of our team.
Lead cargo agent Ferdinand lives in the Lahaina area and vividly remembers the terror of August 8, 2023. He counts himself among the fortunate: His home and family survived, with his youngest son narrowly escaping the flames by jumping into the harbor and paddling away on a surfboard. But Ferdinand and his loved ones also endured days of agonizing uncertainty before they knew all family members were safe, as well as weeks without electricity, and the lasting loss of many friends and the town they loved.
Through it all, he recalls how the Maui ‘ohana — fellow Hawaiian Airlines team members, cargo vendors and customers — were there for the survivors. For weeks, the air cargo facilities hosted a staging area for supplies shipped in from Neighbor Islands and the continental U.S., and employees throughout Hawaiian Airlines contributed money and time to help those affected.
“When you see a person you service regularly here at Hawaiian Air Cargo bring water to your neighborhood … or kids you’ve coached bringing hot food for you to eat, and a classmate lending me a generator so I can have electricity for my home, seeing it come full circle really humbles me,” Ferdinand said. “It was the most beautiful thing to see people that I work with — customers and vendors, too — bringing supplies to my house. Our community gives abundantly and expects nothing in return.”
As the Lahaina community continues to rebuild, Ferdinand has an even deeper resolve to ensure every cargo customer receives the welcome and personal care due to treasured members of the Maui ‘ohana.
“Any time a customer walks in through that door, we’ve got to treat them like family, sharing our airline’s mana’o and the aloha spirit,” he said. “The customer to me is everything. Without them, there is no Hawaiian Air Cargo.”
ON THE GROUND WITH THE TEAM
What’s a typical day like for you?
Ramana: “The thing I like about cargo is we’re not doing the same job over and over again. We will be in the warehouse one day, running forklift and bringing in incoming freight from customers direct off their trucks or putting stuff into trucks. And the next day we’ll be running out to pick up freight from planes and drop freight off to planes. And the following day we’ll be in the office and work with customers directly. I personally like that diversity of day-to-day work.”
Ferdinand: “As a supervisor, I like to lead by example and jump in the trenches and be in the mix with the crew, not be an observer just barking orders. If I can help rally the team in any away to help the operations run smoothly for that day, then I did my job.”
What are some of the big flights you frequently work?
Ramana: “I just changed over to the morning shift recently and I frequently help handle the trans-Pac from L.A. That’s where a lot of the produce comes in for the big chain stores … We’re offloading thousands of pounds of produce a day.”
