Southwest Airlines recently announced it will begin flying to four destinations in Hawaii.
The carrier revealed it would add service to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Kahului Airport on Maui, Lihue Airport on Kauai and Kona International Airport on the state’s Big Island.
Southwest has teased launching routes to Hawaii since 2017, but the airline has not revealed any details about dates or routes for the upcoming flights. The company’s official website has a page dedicated to Hawaiian flights but is still waiting on approval from federal regulators.
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Officials said during Southwest’s first-quarter earnings conference call the airline is seeking special certification for flying long distances over bodies of water. Planes must follow a tougher set of safety guidelines and parts must be replaced after a certain number of service hours.
Southwest pilots must also go through more training to fly the Hawaiian routes.
“While we do not yet have details to share on exact dates or routes, they do represent our initial footprints and top priorities for the soonest service in the State of Hawaii,” Southwest officials said.
The airline also announced it has reached an agreement with Alaska Airlines to lease 12 slots at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport and eight slots at Washington Reagan National Airport with the intent of further growth in 2018 and beyond.
The first-quarter earnings report was released days after an engine explosion left one passenger dead, marking the first passenger death in the airline’s history. Officials estimated the loss in bookings will cost the company between $50 million and $100 million.
