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Hawaiian Airlines details longest Boeing 787 routes ahead of transfer to Alaska Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines details longest Boeing 787 routes ahead of transfer to Alaska Airlines
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Diana Birkett Rakow, CEO | Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines, now part of the Alaska Air Group, is advancing its fleet modernization by replacing older Airbus A330 aircraft with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The airline operates primarily from Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and maintains a secondary hub at Kahului Airport on Maui. Hawaiian Airlines is one of the ten largest carriers in the United States and offers extensive routes connecting Hawaii to destinations across the Pacific Rim, including Australia, New Zealand (seasonally), Japan, the Cook Islands, and South Korea.

The decision to transition to the Boeing 787-9 came after initial plans to renew the fleet with Airbus A330-800s. Hawaiian Airlines finalized a deal with Boeing in March 2018 for ten 787-9 aircraft, later increasing this order to twelve as part of a delivery deferral agreement. After delays, the first Dreamliner joined the fleet in early 2024 for domestic routes to the U.S. West Coast. According to ch-aviation data, four Boeing 787-9s are currently operated by Hawaiian Airlines; however, all are scheduled for transfer to Alaska Airlines by spring 2026. There are also plans for up to five more 787-9s on order that may be converted into larger-capacity 787-10 models.

Configured for up to 300 passengers across two classes—34 in Premium Cabin (business/first), 79 in Extra Comfort (economy plus), and 187 in Main Cabin (economy)—the Boeing 787-9 provides slightly higher capacity than Hawaiian’s Airbus A330-200.

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Simple Flying analyzed Cirium data on Hawaiian’s longest nonstop routes operated by its Boeing 787-9 during calendar year 2025:

The Seattle–Seoul route stands out as Hawaiian’s longest with this aircraft type at a distance of 5,217 miles (8,395 km). This service began September 12 from Seattle Tacoma International Airport to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport as part of Hawaiian’s integration with Alaska Airlines. Hawaiian operates this flight up to five times weekly on behalf of Alaska Airlines, providing approximately 24,000 seats between launch and year-end.

Another major route is Honolulu–New York JFK at about 4,983 miles (8,019 km). Although flights from Honolulu to Boston are slightly longer at over 5,087 miles (8,186 km), those remain operated by Airbus A330s and will be discontinued after November. The Dreamliner was introduced on Honolulu–JFK flights starting April but has since been replaced again by A330s due to network changes. For this year alone, there will be around 143 nonstop flights using the Dreamliner between these cities.

Honolulu–Phoenix is another significant route served by the Boeing widebody jet since May 15 when Hawaiian took delivery of its second Dreamliner. Despite being shorter at roughly 2,918 miles (4,696 km), it remains important within their network with more than a hundred scheduled flights planned for next year.

Honolulu–Seattle ranks as another key long-haul link using the Dreamliner at just under three thousand miles each way; more than two hundred fifty direct flights are expected this year between these hubs shared by both airlines.

By early next year all existing Hawaiian-operated Dreamliners will move under Alaska Airlines’ control as part of an ongoing merger process—allowing Alaska access not only domestically but also internationally via new long-haul services such as Tokyo and Seoul initially operated under contract by Hawaiian crews before transitioning fully into Alaska’s operation. By spring of that year further expansion includes planned London and Rome launches plus seasonal Reykjavik service using newer planes or reconfigured cabins.

As these transitions occur Hawaii-based operations will return focus toward medium-to-long haul routes using updated Airbus A330 jets featuring refreshed interiors including lie-flat business class seating and enhanced economy options.

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