Hawaiian Airlines decreasing leg room on interisland flights

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HONOLULU — Hawaiian Airlines says it plans to reduce leg room by about an inch on all interisland flights by the end of the year.

HONOLULU — Hawaiian Airlines says it plans to reduce leg room by about an inch on all interisland flights by the end of the year.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports Hawaiian announced Thursday it is retrofitting 18 Boeing 717 aircraft with new lightweight seats to allow the airline to add five- to 10 passengers per flight.

Hawaiian says its first retrofit has been completed, increasing passenger capacity to 128 seats. The planes have 118 or 123 seats each before the retrofit.

Airline spokeswoman Alison Croyle says even though the new seats do not recline, they are set at a “pre-reclined angle.”

Honolulu realtor Ira Gordon sometimes takes interisland flights. The 68-year-old man says not being able to recline his seat could be a deal-breaker.