First Hawaiian Airlines Mother, Captain Kamelia Zarka, and Daughter Pilot Duo Take Flight

Kamelia and Maria Zarka are the first mother-daughter team to fly as a pilot of a Hawaiian Airlines flight. (Source: KHNL/KGMB)

Make history at Hawaiian Airlines, mother, Kamelia Zarka, and daughter pilot duo hits the skies

Hawaiian Airlines in its 93-year history

Captain Kamelia Zarka and her daughter, First Officer Maria Zarka, shared the flight deck of the Boeing B717 to operate a series of Neighbor Island flights. This was the first a mother-daughter pairing had flown for Hawaiian Airlines (Hawaiian) in its 93-year history. The pair, looking equally proud of each other and suitably decked out with a lei, greeted passengers at boarding, shared selfies, and encouraged young girls to follow their dreams to the cockpit.

Kamelia has been with Hawaiian for three decades, joining the airline as a flight attendant in 1992. She was born and raised in the Kingdom of Tonga and became the first Tongan woman to captain a commercial airliner. After joining Hawaiian, she set her mind to earning her pilot’s wings, and after stints at regional carriers, she rejoined Hawaiian in 1999 as a flight engineer on a McDonnell Douglas DC-10. She later moved to the Boeing B767 transpacific fleet as a first officer before becoming a B717 Neighbor Island fleet captain.

Kamelia’s two daughters followed in her footsteps. When flight instructing, Kamelia would take Maria, the oldest daughter, on night flights. This got Maria “hooked” on flying. Before joining Hawaiian Airlines, Maria flew for Republic Airlines in New Jersey for two years. Early in 2022, she was hired by Hawaiian Airlines.

Mother-daughter duo take to the skies as Hawaiian Airlines pilots

“I feel fortunate to have a mom who has worked hard to pave the way for other females as the first Tongan female to captain a commercial airline,” Maria said, according to a statement. “And now it’s my turn. I’m looking forward to continuing my mom’s legacy while making my own mark as a Hawaiian Airlines pilot.”

Kaimana the youngest daughter, is following the same path, studying aeronautical science at Emery-Riddle University in Arizona. She has gained her private and instrument licenses and is well on the way to joining her mum and sister in the cockpit at Hawaiian. With their own three-person flight crew, the Zarkas would be ideally suited to the DC-10, the same aircraft Kamelia kicked off her piloting career at Hawaiian Airlines.

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