The History of Tikiyaki Airways:
From Frying to Flying

Tikiyaki egg rolls arriving by cattle boat (1952)

Spangler BS-1 over Honolulu, HI (1953)

Tikiyaki Zeppelin (aka The Egg Roll)

Captain Lush enjoys a mai tai aboard Tikiyaki Airways' new 747 ultra wide-body

If you're a Lush-Miles Member, you know that each passenger is treated to a delicious egg roll on every Tikiyaki Airways flight. "Why?" you may ask. Well our heads weren't always in the clouds. They used to be in peanut oil!

It all started with The Tikiyaki Egg Roll Company in 1951. Back then, the name Tikiyaki was synonymous for the best egg rolls in Hawaii, and for seasoned travelers in the know, they were the best in the world. As the popularity of Tikiyaki egg rolls grew throughout the 1950's, many of the top Hawaiian hotels of the day began to place large orders for the delicious deep fried delicacies. However, a problem quickly arose; how to get the delicious egg rolls to the many island outposts that made up what was then, the U.S. territory of Hawaii. The obvious answer was to use the many island-hopping cattle boats, affectionately called "bullshit rickshaws" by local kanes and wahines. The only drawback to this method, however, was that the egg rolls often arrived late, soggy and smelling of...well, bullshit. This was unacceptable. The answer quickly presented itself when a local crazy old coot named Soupy Spangler offered to sell his hand-built mini plane, the Spangler BS-1, to the Tikiyaki Egg Roll Co.

The small plane was a great boon to The Tikiyaki Egg Roll Co. and the deliveries flew to hungry island visitors. As the 1960's dawned on Hawaii, the orders for Tikiyaki Egg Rolls continued to "soar". Soon a fleet of 7 Spangler BS-1's were buzzing across the skies between the many Hawaiian islands, delivering their precious cargo of edible gold.

As the popularity of Tikiyaki Egg Rolls grew, so did the popularity of the airplanes, as well as the numbers of tourists to the Islands. Soon, many locals and visitors alike began to hop Tikiyaki flights along with the egg rolls to various island destinations. It wasn't long before the number of paying passengers outnumbered the number of egg rolls on each flight. Seeing an opportunity, the founder of The Tikiyaki Egg Roll Company, Jim "El Maestro" Bacchi, renamed the company. Tikiyaki Airways was born.

Almost immediately, Tikiyaki Airways was operating packed flights from island to island on their new, state-of-the-art Lockheed Constellations. Naturally, Tikiyaki egg rolls were served on each flight. To accommodate the growing number of passengers, Tikiyaki Airways soon purchased their first mega carrier, a 50-passenger Zeppelin affectionately called "The Egg Roll". Naturally, there was no smoking on these flights. However, one day, a passenger decided to ignore the no-smoking signs and lit up. That was the end of airships for the Tikiyaki Airways fleet. It was quickly decided that the newest air technology, the jet, would be a cornerstone of the Tikiyaki Airways flight.

Today, Tikiyaki Airways operates over 50 ultra-modern jet aircraft including a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet which is flown by our premier pilot, Captain Marty Lush. Passengers have an opportunity to schmooze and enjoy a mai tai with Captain Lush on every flight in the enormous 747's Lush Sky Lounge--named after the Captain. It was Captain Lush's suggestion that every Tikiyaki Airways aircraft include a fully stocked Jungle Jetsetter Sky Lounge, complete with luscious Tiki decor.

The future couldn't be brighter for Tikiyaki Airways today. Sticking close to its Egg Roll roots, Tikiyaki Airways is looking up to bigger and brighter skies.