..and if it would become something more than wishful thinking, there'd be exponential benefits and growth upon growth. e.g.:
* adding flight HNL-PEK (that is soon to be launched by Hainan Airlines) can fill, apparently, an A330 once per week with Chinese tourists bound to HNL - so 1/7th of the daily flight seats already gone with non-connecting traffic (not as good as KE filling a daily 747 with Korean tourists (and those HNL-ICN KE flights are always full, from my experience), but still not bad); the point being that adding such flights would be not only connecting but also additional that otherwise now was non-existant or was indirect traffic to the connecting airport
* adding the much needed JFK-HNL it would again bring more direct tourists to HNL (that now would go via EWR or IAH on CO, or via ORD on UA, or via PHX on US, or on DL via MSP/DTW or ATL), and also HNL-EU connections (that now work beautifully with CO via EWR, but do not work through ATL - that is, not without the DL's famous 23h55m or 14h or such connection times in ATL), and also the connecting traffic to Asia
* adding e.g. something non-hub to HNL like IAD-HNL again would be similar story as JFK re: more HNL bound passangers as well as connecting to Asia

But again I know it's wishful thinking, as I don't believe there is enough overall traveller number to make that work, there's only so many that can switch to DL/via HNL route vs. other airlines/routes now. Though still to a lesser degree, realistically this does have potential, IMO.