On September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki demolished the island of Kauai, destroying the island’s visitor industry as well.
The disaster prompted Steve Egger, a partner in the helicopter company Air Kauai, to make a tough choice: Sit out the long recovery, or move. Economics prevailed; Steve left Air Kauai to open his own company. In the wake of Hurricane Iniki, Air Maui was born.
The Air Maui story actually began years earlier. In 1974, a young warrant officer had just returned from Viet Nam, where he’d flown the famous Huey helicopter in combat operations. Determined that flying be his future, Steve worked his way up the civilian ranks as a helicopter pilot.
Steve’s vision was to create an adventure helicopter company unlike any other - one where the ride was part of a larger experience. “Think of the helicopter as a magic carpet that transports you not just to another world, but another time.”
Today, after 10 years flying Maui and Molokai, Air Maui is Hawaii’s premier helicopter company when it comes to fun, adventure and customer satisfaction.
