Hawaii DOT Grants Southwest Landing Permit

Southwest Airlines has taken a step closer to bringing a little aloha to its mainland customers this week, after receiving a permit for space at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Dallas-based airline, which first announced its intent to serve Hawaii back in October, received the month-to-month permit from the Hawaii Department of Transportation after the agency was granted approval by the Department of Land and Natural Resources. According to sources, Southwest will pay $19,900.

“We understand there is a lot of excitement regarding the service and we are working with the airline to accommodate its logistical needs,” said Tim Sakahara, a spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation.

According to the agency, Southwest is now seeking federal approval to operate a trans-Pacific flight.

“Southwest Airlines is currently seeking its Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards (ETOPS) clearance, which would allow the airline to make the trans-Pacific flights,” he said.

Although Southwest hasn’t current released details on routing the airline said it plans to start selling tickets to Hawaii later this year, according to Hawaii’s K-HON2 News.

In addition to its proposed Pacific expansion, Southwest has also announced it will begin adding more flights to Cancun later this year. The expansion includes new flights from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as an additional flight from Houston.

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