Hawaiian Airlines ends nonstop Honolulu-Boston service as longest U.S. domestic flight

According to data from the US Department of Transportation (DOT), approximately 149,800 round-trip passengers traveled between Honolulu and Boston from April 2024 to March 2025—an average of about 410 passengers daily. Hawaiian held a market share of 48% during this period. After ending direct service, the airline plans to connect some travelers via Seattle with Alaska Airlines.

The route spans 4,427 nautical miles (8,199 kilometers) each way and has a maximum block time of up to 11 hours and 25 minutes according to OAG data—making it longer than some international flights such as Boston-Istanbul.

US DOT figures show that across Hawaiian’s routes from Honolulu to airports in the continental US, the average load factor was 87%, with total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM) averaging $0.113 cents. However, the Boston route had a lower load factor at 83% and generated just $0.088 TRASM—the lowest among all sixteen routes analyzed by DOT data. Despite covering much greater distances than other mainland destinations like San Diego or Austin, revenue performance lagged behind due to higher operating costs and insufficient yields.

Delta Air Lines started its own nonstop flights between Boston and Honolulu in November 2024 but discontinued them after less than one season because demand failed to meet expectations; only about two-thirds of seats were filled on average according to DOT statistics. Most travelers were local rather than connecting passengers—a key factor cited for discontinuing direct service on this long-distance route.

Delta continues serving Honolulu from several major hubs including Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St Paul, New York JFK, Salt Lake City, and Seattle.

"Delta first served Boston-Honolulu in November 2024, but pulled out the following April. It did not even last a season... No wonder the route ended," reads one passage summarizing DOT findings about Delta's experience with this market.

With both carriers withdrawing their nonstop offerings between Hawaii and Massachusetts later this year, travelers will need to connect through other cities for eastbound journeys from Honolulu going forward.