Kamaka Air
Kamaka Air is a Honolulu-based inter-island air cargo airline founded in 1993 that operates scheduled freight and charter services across the Hawaiian Islands using Cessna Caravan and SkyCourier turboprops, serving consumers, businesses, healthcare providers, and animal welfare organizations with same-day and next-day delivery.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersHonolulu, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Kamaka Air does
Kamaka Air is a privately held, Honolulu-based inter-island air cargo airline founded in 1993 that operates scheduled and charter cargo services across the Hawaiian Islands. The company serves individual consumers, local businesses, healthcare providers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations transporting goods between O'ahu (HNL), Maui (OGG), Lāna'i (LNY), Moloka'i (MKK), Kaua'i (LIH), and on-demand charter to Kona (KOA), with physical counter locations on multiple islands. Its fleet comprises six Cessna Caravans and Hawaii's first Cessna SkyCourier—a high-capacity turboprop with 5,950-lb payload and 884 cubic feet of cargo volume—operated with Garmin G1000 avionics and Pratt & Whitney PT6 engines. The business operates a unified platform covering scheduled air freight, specialized cargo verticals (healthcare/pharmaceuticals, fresh/perishables, live animals, secured, hazardous, oversized), Kamaka Express Charter for dedicated time-sensitive shipments, and an Animal Transport Partnership Program. A web-based portal (apps1.tflite.com) provides quoting, booking, real-time tracking, and payment, with payments processed through a third-party Converge Pay gateway that assesses a 3% credit card processing fee. Kamaka Air generates revenue primarily through per-pound freight charges, charter fees, and ancillary fees for specialized cargo handling, with a channel partnership via Aloha Delivers enabling Neighbor Island residents to receive big-box retail purchases from O'ahu-based retailers such as Costco, Walmart, Target, and Sam's Club. The company is led by President George Ka'anana and CMO Bill Nixon, and has cultivated long-tenured relationships with healthcare providers, animal welfare organizations, and emergency response partners including Direct Relief.
Kamaka Air firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kamaka Air
- Legal name
- Kamaka Air
- Website
- https://kamakaair.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Kamaka Air is a Honolulu-based inter-island air cargo airline founded in 1993 that operates scheduled freight and charter services across the Hawaiian Islands using Cessna Caravan and SkyCourier turboprops, serving consumers, businesses, healthcare providers, and animal welfare organizations with same-day and next-day delivery.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kamaka Air industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Air Cargo Services
- NAICS
- Air Transportation (481), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Island & Remote Region Regional Airlines (THABACAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Air Freight Charter Operators (THABAEAD), Group & ACMI Charter Airlines (Ad-hoc/Wet Lease) (TLAFABAC), Heavy-Lift / Outsize Air Cargo Carriers (TLADAAAF)
Keywords
Where Kamaka Air is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Honolulu
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Kamaka Air business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Per-Pound Air Freight: Core revenue stream from transporting cargo by weight across Hawaiian Islands. Pricing based on actual weight vs dimensional weight with competitive per-pound rates. Same-day and next-day delivery options available.
- Cargo Charter Services: Dedicated charter flights for time-sensitive freight requiring custom schedules. Kamaka Express Charter service handles everything from ground logistics to flight planning for highest-priority shipments.
- Retail Delivery Partnership: Revenue from transporting retail goods through Aloha Delivers partnership, delivering big-box shopping from O'ahu to Neighbor Islands with delivery starting at $30 plus weight-based fees.
- Specialized Cargo Services: Additional fees for handling hazardous materials, live animals, healthcare/pharmaceutical products, fresh/perishable goods, secured high-value items, and oversized specialty cargo.
- Payment Processing Fees: 3% processing fee assessed on all credit card payments, generating ancillary revenue from transaction processing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Per-pound freight pricing with actual vs dimensional weight comparison |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Cargo Charter for dedicated high-priority shipments |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Specialized cargo handling fees |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Kamaka Air product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kamaka Air is Hawaii's inter-island air cargo airline, transporting freight, packages, mail, specialized cargo (healthcare, fresh, live animals, secured, hazardous, oversized), and charter shipments across the Hawaiian Islands via a fleet of Cessna Caravans and the Cessna SkyCourier. The company provides scheduled weekday flights plus on-demand charter services, with an online portal for quoting, booking, real-time tracking, and payment.
Product overview
Kamaka Air is a Hawaii-based inter-island air cargo airline operating as a single, unified service platform offering scheduled freight flights and on-demand charter services across the Hawaiian Islands. The core product is Air Freight, supported by specialized cargo verticals covering Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals, Fresh/Perishables, Live Animal Transport, Secured Cargo, Specialized Accommodations (including hazardous materials), Courier, and Mail. A companion Digital Platform (web portal and app) enables quote requests, booking, real-time tracking, and payment management. Ancillary offerings include the Kamaka Express Charter for dedicated cargo flights, a Maintenance Services division, the Animal Transport Partnership Program for veterinary and rescue organizations, and the Aloha Delivers big-box retail shopping partner service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Aloha Delivers: A retail delivery partnership enabling Neighbor Island residents to shop O'ahu's major retailers (Costco, Target, Walmart, Sam's Club, etc.) with inter-island cargo delivery to their door.
- Kamaka Express
- Animal Transport Partnership Program
Products and services
- Air Freight
- Healthcare (Pharmaceutical Shipping)
- Fresh (Perishable Goods)
- Live (Animal Transport)
- Secured Cargo
- Specialized Accommodations
- Courier Service
- Mail Services
- Kamaka Express Charter
- Maintenance Services
- Kamaka Air Online Shipping Portal
- Aloha Delivers (Big-Box Shopping)
- Animal Transport Partnership Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Same-day interisland delivery capability
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kamaka Air
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Kamaka Air technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Kamaka Air partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Direct ReliefcoreEmergency airlift partnership coordinating disaster relief flights to Moloka'i following severe flooding. Direct Relief provides $25,000 in emergency funding and supplies while Kamaka Air operates cargo flights delivering personal care items, solar chargers, solar lights, and water purification supplies.
- Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai'i (HMHB)supportingCollaboration during emergency response to flooding, coordinating distribution of essential supplies to affected communities on Moloka'i.
- Veterinary Emergency + Referral Center of Hawaii (VERC)corePartnership enabling safe and reliable interisland air transport for pets requiring emergency or specialty veterinary care. Kamaka Air provides same-day flight delivery while VERC offers advanced medical services on Oahu. This collaboration removes geographic barriers for families whose pets need urgent care not available on their home islands.
- Moloka'i Drugs, Inc.coreOngoing partnership ensuring critical prescriptions and healthcare supplies reach Moloka'i families without delay. The partnership supports community well-being with swift delivery of pharmaceutical products across islands.
- Harvest Family Life Ministries Hawaii (HFLM)supportingPartnership providing dedicated cargo support for annual school supply drive, delivering over 1,250 backpacks to children in Hawaii's foster care system and at-risk youth on Moloka'i.
- Kalaupapa Beach CleanupsupportingSecond year supporting annual cleanup of Kalaupapa's northern coastline on Moloka'i. Kamaka Air provides air transport for volunteers, essential supplies, and equipment to this remote location.
- Moloka'i Holokai Ho'olaule'asupportingPartnership supporting Hawaii's premier paddle festival including the Pā'ilio Channel crossing. Kamaka Air provides air transport for gear, equipment, and safety materials to ensure seamless event logistics.
- Humane SocietycorePartnership for transporting animals needing urgent medical attention, spay/neuter services, or relocation to new homes on neighboring islands. Kamaka Air provides dedicated cargo flights while Humane Society coordinates animal welfare logistics.
- Aloha DeliverscoreExclusive partnership enabling delivery of O'ahu's major retailers (Costco, Sam's Club, Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, Whole Foods, Amazon, Foodland, Petco, etc.) directly to Neighbor Island residents. Aloha Delivers handles shopping and in-island delivery while Kamaka Air provides interisland cargo transport.
- NAPA Auto (Moloka'i)supportingBusiness partnership enabling same-day or next-day delivery of critical vehicle parts to Moloka'i, helping local businesses stay productive and customers avoid long wait times for repairs.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights6 records
Kamaka Air competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aloha Air Cargo: Hawaii-based inter-island cargo-only carrier operating scheduled freight across the same island network as Kamaka Air. Closest direct competitor in business model, fleet type, and customer base.
- Pacific Air Cargo: Cargo carrier operating 747 freighter service connecting Hawai'i with the U.S. mainland and Pacific islands. Comparable as a Hawaii-anchored air cargo specialist, though focused on long-haul rather than inter-island routes.
- Lynden Air Cargo: U.S.-based scheduled and charter cargo operator serving remote communities, including island and bush operations in Alaska. Comparable niche-cargo model serving geographically isolated populations with turboprop freighters.
- Transair: Hawaii-based charter and scheduled carrier providing inter-island passenger and cargo services. Comparable fleet profile (small turboprops) and operating geography to Kamaka Air.
Broad incumbents
- Mokulele Airlines: Hawaiian inter-island passenger carrier operating Cessna Caravans across the same island network as Kamaka Air. While primarily a passenger operator, its fleet and routes overlap with Kamaka Air's footprint and may offer ancillary cargo capacity.
- UPS Airlines (Island Feeder Operations): Global integrator that moves small packages between Hawaiian Islands via contracted feeder operators. Comparable in providing scheduled door-to-door inter-island delivery, competing for the same e-commerce and SMB shipping demand.
- Hawaiian Airlines Cargo: Largest inter-island passenger carrier in Hawai'i with significant belly-cargo capacity. Directly competes with Kamaka Air on the same HNL–OGG–LIH–MKK–LNY–KOA routes, but as part of a much broader passenger network rather than a cargo-only model.
- FedEx Feeder Operators (Hawaii): FedEx contracts with feeder carriers to serve Hawaiian Islands as part of its global express network. Comparable in providing time-sensitive inter-island package and small-cargo transport, though under a national integrator brand.
Regional players
- Asia Pacific Airlines: Hawaii-based cargo airline operating Boeing 727 freighters on trans-Pacific and Pacific island routes. Comparable as a Hawaii-domiciled cargo operator with a similar charter/scheduled mix, though serving international rather than inter-island lanes.
Emerging players
- Everts Air Cargo: Alaska-based cargo and charter operator running scheduled and on-demand freight services to remote communities. Comparable niche regional cargo model with similar turboprop freighter equipment and customer use cases (medical, mail, urgent freight).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kamaka Air social profiles
Digital presenceKamaka Air financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kamaka Air leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Kamaka Air funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kamaka Air M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kamaka Air
What does Kamaka Air do?
Kamaka Air is Hawaii's inter-island air cargo airline, transporting freight, packages, mail, specialized cargo (healthcare, fresh, live animals, secured, hazardous, oversized), and charter shipments across the Hawaiian Islands via a fleet of Cessna Caravans and the Cessna SkyCourier. The company provides scheduled weekday flights plus on-demand charter services, with an online portal for quoting, booking, real-time tracking, and payment.
Is Kamaka Air a public or private company?
Kamaka Air is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kamaka Air founded?
Kamaka Air was founded in 1993. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kamaka Air based?
Kamaka Air is headquartered in Honolulu, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kamaka Air make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Per-Pound Air Freight is the primary driver. The others are cargo Charter Services, retail Delivery Partnership, specialized Cargo Services and payment Processing Fees.
Who are Kamaka Air's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aloha Air Cargo, Pacific Air Cargo, Lynden Air Cargo and Transair. Broad incumbents are Mokulele Airlines, UPS Airlines (Island Feeder Operations), Hawaiian Airlines Cargo and FedEx Feeder Operators (Hawaii). Asia Pacific Airlines is listed as a regional player. Everts Air Cargo is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kamaka Air have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kamaka Air.
What industry is Kamaka Air in?
Kamaka Air's product category is Air Cargo Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THABACAL, Island & Remote Region Regional Airlines, with a secondary code of THABAEAD, Air Freight Charter Operators. Its NAICS code is 481 and its SIC code is 4512.