Last year's shutdown of Aloha Airlines was sudden, and word spread quickly, like a death in the family. Employees were notified via a company e-mail at 10 a.m. March 30, 2008, a Sunday.
On Maui, Kahului Airport passengers became aware of what was happening when they saw employees weeping at ticket counters. Aloha's trans-Pacific passenger flights made their last trips the same day, and the longtime airline flew its last interisland flight at the close of business the next day.
Nearly a year later, hundreds of Maui residents who worked at Aloha Airlines are still putting their lives back together, many still missing the sense of ohana they shared with fellow employees.
Most have found new jobs. Others have struggled to find steady employment in Maui's depressed economy. Some have gone back to school, and still others have found life is even better after leaving Aloha.
