Southwest Airlines announced the carrier will begin service to Hawaii on March 17, 2019, with an inaugural flight from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu, Oahu, followed by an inaugural flight from Oakland to Kahului Airport (OGG), Maui on April 7.
In subsequent weeks, the carrier will inaugurate additional service from Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) to Honolulu on May 5 and to Kahului on May 26.
Southwest will operate its first interisland service within Hawaii between Honolulu and Kahului, four times daily in each direction, beginning April 28, followed by service between Honolulu and Ellison Onizuka International Airport at Keahole (KOA) on Hawaii Island, four times daily in each direction, beginning May 12. The additional interisland service will make possible connecting service between Kona and both Oakland and San Jose.
Additional service details, including plans for previously announced gateways of San Diego and Sacramento, and for Lihue, on Kauai, will be announced in the coming weeks.
“As we answer the call for Southwest in Hawaii with an initial schedule of service that speaks to a long-held hope of our Customers, I applaud and congratulate our People for their steady and impressive work to bring our world-famous Hospitality and game-changing value to the Islands,” said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines’ Chairman & Chief Executive Officer.
“Beyond these introductory fares that celebrate our significant initial investment in serving the Islands, our Hawaii Customers will experience our everyday value in low fares that offer everybody the same brand standards: no fees to change your ticket and two checked bags fly free (standard baggage terms apply),” said Tom Nealon, Southwest Airlines’ President. “We’re focused on bringing Hawaii an authentically Southwest experience with comfort across all seating—for every Customer—along with in-cabin snack enhancements for our flights between the State of Hawaii and the U.S. mainland.”
“As our first flights go on sale, I want to recognize and thank our People who successfully obtained FAA authorization to operate this service across the Pacific between the mainland and the Hawaiian Islands,” said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines’ Chief Operating Officer. “From our work with airports under the direction of the State of Hawaii, to our California airports, and to all business partners who collaborated with us to safely prepare our operation, we gratefully share our thanks.”
In October 2017, Southwest shared an intention to begin the technical work to bring capabilities for Hawaii service. The carrier filed application with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in January 2018 and publicly announced in spring 2018 the carrier’s initial mainland gateways and Island airports. The announcements punctuated a multi-year effort by Southwest across the Islands to map cultural and community landscapes with a focus on learning how the Company could best serve the different communities of the Islands of Hawaii with relevant service.
“Hawaii, we’re in this for good,” said Kelly. “Mahalo from all 60,000 of us at Southwest for the warm aloha you’ve shared ahead of our arrival and please know how excited we are to share our Southwest Hospitality with you.”
Southwest Airlines Hawaii Service (chronologically):
- Oakland to Honolulu begins once daily on March 17, 2019; Honolulu to Oakland begins once daily on March 18; the route will be flown twice daily in each direction as of March 24.
- Oakland to Kahuluibegins once daily on April 7, 2019; Kahului to Oakland begins once daily on April 8; the route will be flown twice daily in each direction as of April 10.
- Interisland service four times daily in each direction between Honolulu and Kahului begins April 28.
- San Jose to Honolulu service begins May 5, once daily in each direction.
- Interisland service four times daily in each direction between Honolulu and Kona begins May 12.
- San Jose to Kahului service begins May 26, once daily in each direction.
Book Southwest Airlines’ online at Southwest Airlines or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.
