Hawaiian Airlines begins ticket sales for New Kona-Haneda route

HONOLULU – Hawaiian Airlines announced on July 6 that new non-stop service between Hawai’i Island’s Kona International Airport (KOA) and Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport (HND) will begin on December 20, 2016, when the inaugural flight departs KOA.  

 

Hawai’i’s carrier has successfully operated daily service between Honolulu International Airport (HNL) and Haneda since November 2010.  In May, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) approved Hawaiian’s application to provide three times weekly service between KOA and HND airports, along with a second frequency four-times weekly from HNL to HND beginning December 21.

 

“Since launching our first daily service to Haneda six years ago, Hawaiian has had the pleasure of carrying nearly 1 million visitors to Honolulu,” said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and chief executive officer. “As Hawai’i’s largest international market, it is clear Japanese travelers have chosen Hawaiian as their carrier of choice when visiting our beautiful islands. We are excited to offer even more choices for service with a second flight option from Haneda, the option to fly nonstop to Kona, and our new nonstop daily service from Narita launching later this month.” 

 

Flight	Route	Departs	Arrives	Frequency	Start Date
HA 855	HNL-HND	5:30 p.m.	10:05 p.m.*	Mon., Wed., Fri., Sun.	Dec. 21, 2016
HA 856	HND-HNL	11:55 p.m.	11:55 a.m.**	Mon., Tues. Thurs., Sat.	Dec. 22, 2016

 

The DOT is still deciding which five of eight remaining applications from four other U.S. air carriers it will approve for daytime slots, and Hawaiian has urged the DOT to confirm its existing daily Honolulu-Haneda service be among them. Dunkerley previously advised that flights between Hawaii and Japan are the most traveled and most beneficial to the U.S. economy, and being able to expand the number that Hawaiian can offer to Tokyo’s Haneda airport is especially important.

 

The new Kona-Haneda and Honolulu-Haneda services will be operated by Hawaiian Airlines’ wide-body Airbus A330-200 aircraft, seating 294 passengers. From the moment guests arrive, they will enjoy Hawaiian’s signature Mea Ho’okipa (translation: I am host) onboard service, long-celebrated for its warm and friendly celebration of the culture, people, and Aloha Spirit of the Hawaiian Islands.

 

The comfort, roominess and amenities of Hawaiian Airlines’ A330 aircraft will add to the enjoyment of customers’ travel experience throughout the flight. With high-resolution LCD touch-screen monitors in each seatback, the A330’s state-of-the-art entertainment system lets customers choose from a wide-range of movies, TV programs, music, and video games, while also offering a USB port for the use of their own personal media players.

 

Amenities for guests traveling between Hawai’i and Japan also include an expanded selection of entertainment, including Hawaiian music starring award-winning performers, classic artists and emerging new talent as well as original Japanese-language programming showcasing the best of Hawai’i on Hawai’i Local News.

 

On inbound flights from Japan, travelers in all cabins are treated to the best of modern Hawai’i cuisine before even reaching the Island shores with regional and global fusion dishes provided by renowned local Chef Lee Anne Wong, owner of island favorite Koko Head Cafe. When booking flights, families with children ages 12 and under can also pre-order keiki (kids) meals, which include a Hawaiian-print drawstring snack bag.

 

Hawaiian’s Honolulu to Haneda service served as a springboard for an expanding Japan network that today includes: Osaka (July 2011) and Sapporo (October 2012). On July 22, 2016, the airline will start service to its fourth destination in Japan, with daily nonstop service between Tokyo’s Narita Airport (NRT) and Honolulu.