Business Development and Support Division

HONOLULU – Hawaii is the focus of a multi-page special section in the December issue of Hemispheres, the in-flight magazine of United Airlines.

Dossier, Hemispheres’ Economic Development series, features Hawaii with an in-depth overview, including showcasing unique initiatives that shape the state’s industry and commerce, as well as its influence on today’s global economy.

View the full December issue of Dossier.

The special section examines Hawaii’s diverse economy and features interviews with local business leaders and economic development experts.  It profiles some of the state’s business innovators and entrepreneurs, including Hawaii Gov. David Ige, University of Hawaii President David Lassner, Queen’s Health Systems President and CEO Art Ushijima, and Hawaii Pacific University President John Gotanda.  Gov. David Ige is featured as “The Influencer” in the issue, where he shares the inside track of his vision and priorities for the State of Hawaii.

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), and its attached agencies were well-represented in the special feature with interviews that focused on Hawaii’s innovation economy, from DBEDT Director Luis P. Salaveria, Hawaii State Energy Office Administrator Mark Glick, Creative Industries Division Chief and founder of the Creative Lab Hawaii Program Georja Skinner, Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation President Karl Fooks, and High Technology Development Corporation CEO and Executive Director Robbie Melton.

“It’s exciting to see Hawaii featured in such an important publication, which will definitely start some new conversations about our economy and business climate.” said DBEDT Director Luis P. Salaveria.  “The special section highlights Hawaii’s unique industries, areas of competitive advantage, and celebrates the state’s prominent global position.”

Dossier focuses on Hawaii’s key areas of innovation technology, the creative sectors, clean energy, and more. The section is designed to appeal to the majority of United Airlines’ customers who are business customers.

United is one of the world’s largest global carriers, with more than 4,900 departures daily. It flies to more than 370 destinations in 60 countries, according to the airline’s website. In 2014, the airline carried about 138 million passengers.

United Airlines and United Express operate more than 4,500 flights a day to 339 airports across five continents. In 2015, United and United Express operated more than 1.5 million flights carrying more than 140 million customers. United is proud to have the world’s most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

The Hemispheres magazine with the Dossier Hawaii special section is online and in every seat pocket of every United flight worldwide throughout the month of December. The magazine has more than 3.1 million unique readers every month.

About Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) 


DBEDT is Hawaii’s resource center for economic and statistical data, business development opportunities, energy and conservation information, and foreign trade advantages. DBEDT’s mission is to achieve a Hawaii economy that embraces innovation and is globally competitive, dynamic and productive, providing opportunities for all Hawaii’s citizens. Through its attached agencies, the department fosters planned community development, creates affordable workforce housing units in high-quality living environments, and promotes innovation sector job growth. 


Media Contact

Christine Hirasa 

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism 

Phone: (808) 587-9006 

Mobile: (808) 286-9017 

Email: Christine.M.Hirasa@hawaii.gov 

Website: dbedt.hawaii.gov