New Airbus aircraft will help Hawaiian Air extend reach

What has happened at Hawaiian Airlines could mark the prelude to something very, very big for Hawaiian tourism: scheduled nonstop service to Europe.

Hawaiian has agreed to deals with Airbus and Rolls-Royce to acquire as many as 24 new long-range widebodies, including as many as a dozen A350XWB-800s (the XWB stands for eXtra Wide Body). The craft is capable of making nonstop runs not just to far-flung East Coast cities on the Mainland of the United States but to distant destinations in Australia, Asia and even Europe. Currently, no one offers scheduled nonstop service to Hawaii from Europe. Powered by Rolls-Royce powerplants, the A350XWB could be a game-charger. Foreign airlines have been disinclined to launch Europe - Hawaii service. But a Hawaii-based carrier could pull it off.

Hawaiian also ordered as many as 12 A330-200s, which can serve virtually any point in North America nonstop from Hawaii. They'll replace the carrier's current long-haulers, venerable Boeing 767-300s.

Lest the new aircraft be mistaken merely as replacements, Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian President and CEO, was definitive: “We'll be able to open new markets with both aircraft, and contribute even more to the economy of our home state.”

That economy is heavily dependent on tourism. Local hoteliers are constantly in search of new seats to the Islands. Hawaiian's new initiative is a major breakthrough.

It will be a while before the A350XWB joins Hawaiian's fleet: 2017. The first of the carrier's new A330-200s should start to fly in the carrier's colorful livery in 2012.

The import of the new airplanes to passengers is more flight options from more places.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler

Comments

[Randy]

This will be cool. Some of us, like me, are planning to fly the a350's for Hawaiian. I'm 17 and in college.