Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Mark Dunkerley rang the opening bell of the Nasdaq Stock Market today in an event that featured a taste of Hawaiian music and hula.

Dunkerley was joined by Chief Financial Officer Peter Ingram, Controller Brian Stewart and other Hawaiian employees, as well as a host of entertainers brought to New York by Hawaiian that performed on the bustling Times Square sidewalk fronting Nasdaq.

In addition, video of Hawaiian's aircraft in flight over the skies of Hawaii was shown on Nasdaq's seven-story video screen overlooking Times Square.

The honor of opening the Nasdaq Stock Market was held in recognition of Hawaiian finishing 2008 as one of the nation's few airlines to post a profit during a year when several airlines shut down and the industry struggled with escalating fuel costs and shrinking demand.