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On September 12, Hawaiian Airlines began operating a new long-haul route from Seattle to Seoul Incheon. The service is run by Hawaiian crews but falls under the Alaska Air Group, which owns Hawaiian Airlines. This move comes as the carrier plans to end its Honolulu-Incheon flights in November, partly due to limited slot availability at Seoul and a need to optimize aircraft use.
This new route marks Hawaiian and Alaska’s second long-haul connection from Seattle, following the launch of flights to Tokyo Narita in May. The companies have stated their intention to develop Seattle into a global hub. Additional international services are planned, including flights to Keflavik using Alaska’s Boeing 737 MAX 8s next year, and future routes to Rome Fiumicino and London Heathrow with Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
The inaugural flight was timed just before Chuseok, Korea’s Thanksgiving Day holiday. Hawaiian operates this route five times weekly with its 300-seat Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The plane features 34 fully flat business class seats equipped with privacy doors and 266 economy seats—79 of which offer extra legroom.
