Hawaiian to Launch Daily Flights to Haneda

Hawaiian Airlines’ plan for expansion into Asia and other destinations took a major step forward with the U.S. Department of Transportation giving final approval to its application to offer nonstop daily service between Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Honolulu International Airport.

Hawaiian’s first-ever commercial service to Japan is scheduled to begin 31 October 2010, and will add approximately 100,000 new air seats annually to Hawaii from its second-largest tourism market.

“Earning final approval to launch our new Tokyo service represents a huge step forward for the future of Hawaiian Airlines and is terrific news for Hawaii’s tourism industry,” said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO. “Hawaiian will bring much-needed competition to Tokyo, and we will offer superior service that allows our customers to start their Hawaii experience the moment they board our flights.”

Hawaiian’s nonstop daily flights are tentatively scheduled to depart Tokyo shortly before midnight and arrive in Honolulu around noon the same day, allowing travelers in Tokyo’s surrounding metropolitan area to leave after a full day of work and land in time to check in to a hotel and enjoy a first afternoon in Hawaii.

The return flight will depart Honolulu in the early evening, allowing customers to enjoy a full last day in Hawaii, and arrive in Tokyo in late evening the next day. (Tokyo is 19 hours ahead of Honolulu and the flight crosses the International Dateline.)

Adding to the convenience of Hawaiian’s new service is the central Tokyo location of Haneda Airport in contrast to Narita International Airport, which is 40 miles away.

The new Tokyo-Honolulu route is a key step in Hawaiian’s long-term plan to expand its service in Asia and other destinations using up to 27 new Airbus A330s and A350s that the company plans to integrate into its fleet over the coming decade.

Hawaiian will initially serve Haneda Airport with its Boeing 767-300ER aircraft seating up to 264 passengers, before introducing its new and larger 294-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft onto the route.

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