Hawaiian Airlines confirmed this week plans to increase service between Tokyo and Honolulu in the summer of 2020, after receiving final U.S. Department of Transportation approval to operate one additional daily nonstop flight between Haneda Airport (HND) and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL).
“As the U.S. airline offering the most flights to the most markets between Japan and Hawai‘i, we look forward to building on the popularity of our authentic Hawaiian hospitality by adding another convenient option for guests travelling between Haneda and Honolulu,” said Peter Ingram, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. “Our new service will allow more travellers from Tokyo and beyond to enjoy our unparalleled network of flights connecting Japan and the Hawaiian Islands.”
Hawaiian’s new Haneda slot will enable the airline to substantially grow connectivity to banks of flights departing and arriving from points throughout Japan with codeshare partner Japan Airlines, increasing the quantity and quality of service options as well as needed competition in some underserved locales ahead of the 2020 Olympic Summer games.
Hawaiian has significantly invested in the Japan-Hawai‘i market since it launched daily Haneda-Honolulu flights in 2010 and became the first U.S. airline to serve the Tokyo airport. In 2016, Hawaiian added additional flights at Haneda, serving Honolulu four times a week and Kona three times per week. That same year, the carrier also commenced daily flights between Tokyo’s Narita airport and Honolulu.
Hawaiian, which today operates a leading 31 weekly nonstop flights between Japan and Hawai‘i with wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft, will further expand its network on Nov. 26, when it begins four weekly flights between Fukuoka and Honolulu. The airline also offers flights between Hawai‘i and both Kansai International Airport in Osaka and New Chitose Airport in Sapporo.
Today’s announcement by the U.S. DOT comes as Hawaiian and JAL await government approvals for their antitrust immunized joint venture application. The proposed alliance, which promises significant consumer benefits including lower fares, increased capacity and enhanced consumer choice, would facilitate Hawaiian’s access to 34 destinations throughout Japan, including Nagoya and Okinawa, as well as 11 points in Asia beyond Japan. Japan Airlines and its customers, in turn, would enjoy improved access to Hawaiian’s Neighbor Island network as well as its non-stop flights to Honolulu from Haneda and Sapporo.
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