tonywestsider

Hawaiian Airlines announced a new hub in Maui (OGG) to ease operations statewide. They are expanding inter-island service to OGG, reinstating certain flights between OGG and the Big Island, reinstating OGG-LIH service in both directions, introducing new mainland west coast services to OGG (e.g. LAX-OGG) and retiming other mainland-OGG flights.

See:

http://investor.hawaiianairlines.com...908&highlight=

slippahs

This is the talk of the local media outlets today. I just hope this doesn't mean HNL-KOA/ITO becomes a forced HNL-OGG-KOA/ITO routing.

LIH Prem

lol, let's keep your world oahu centric. It would really suck if you had to fly out of your way and stop on an island you didn't want to go to or stop at in order to get to your destination, right? Welcome to our world.

I doubt that's going to be the effect, but rather, they are finally recognizing that there's a significant amount of traffic that doesn't need to transit HNL, and they can probably charge a premium for it for now, and be in place to fight off any competition that might arrive from the mainland (or considering coming over from the mainland). I just hope this doesn't stretch the inter-island fleet too thin again.

I wonder if they are going to take more gates at OGG. Right now they have the 3 best interisland gates, but there's no more room where they are for more interisland gates. I think they would have to expand to the right side gates. I guess it will be interesting to see what happens there.

-David

Bishope2

I think this is great news! Whether it is for the vacationer from the mainland or the local resident who would like to travel non stop to the other islands without having to go thru HNL.

My question, when will HA open up the schedule for interisland travel that will show the added non stops to LIH and KOA/ITO? I would love to change my interisland flight from LIH to OGG if I could avoid HNL.

tonywestsider

I think the press release states that expanded inter-island service on those routes begin on March 11. Perhaps you can look at an online timetable on HA's website now to see if those schedules are already loaded.

Bishope2

Tonywestsider, thanks...I could not find any dates. The only thing I could find was "over the next several weeks". March 11th doesn't work for me but it is still great news otherwise.

slippahs

Not really Oahu-centric... Simply, me-centric.

sylvas808

As if OGG's runway wasn't in rough enough shape. Perhaps they're preparing for when they finally need to take the long runway out for a couple months for resurfacing.

LIH Prem

lol. of course. Same here.

-David

LIH Prem

I don't see how they are going do that at all. The short runways are too short aren't they? Only small/light aircraft use them.

The only thing I can see is that they will do it all in small sections at night.

-David

WebTraveler

And at the same time Hawaiian pulled PDX-OGG. Seems backwards. I think Most flyers in PDX would rather see the HNL flight pulled and if they need to connect, connect in OGG instead. Alaska is picking up a bunch of business, they are adding a second fight every other day in late spring it appears. Hawaiian might as well just completely pull out of PDX; in the long run they won't find it sustainable with the local airline as competition if they can't keep the OGG flight going.

formeraa

Must we be so dramatic? US operates a number of flights to all the major Hawaiian airports and is the hometown airline here in PHX. HA maintains one flight per day PHX-HNL and does just fine here. I'm sure that PDX is the same way. Due to HA's much larger aircraft size, HA doesn't have the flexibility that AS has.

WebTraveler

Not trying to be "dramatic," instead just stating the simple facts. Call it whatever you want if it makes you feel better.

sylvas808

5/23 is just under 5000 ft long, I'm not sure on the exact specs for the 717's but I believe they could land and depart on that runway, but it would be pretty tight.

N830MH

Actually, this is 6,000 length feet. It was very short runway. There is no construction more new runway expansion.