KAILUA-KONA — Hawaiian Airlines on Wednesday requested U.S. Department of Transportation Sec. Anthony Foxx to immediately approve its application to provide service between Kona and Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
KAILUA-KONA — Hawaiian Airlines on Wednesday requested U.S. Department of Transportation Sec. Anthony Foxx to immediately approve its application to provide service between Kona and Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
If approved, service to Kona could begin around Oct. 30, but no less than 90 days after the department approves the application. Service to Honolulu, a second nonstop route requested, could commence as early as Oct. 30.
In a motion filed Wednesday afternoon, Hawaiian said it was the only applicant for the single available nighttime frequency to serve Haneda Airport that will be available to U.S. airlines when a February agreement between the U.S. Government and Japan takes effect later this year.
“It is long-standing DOT practice to grant an airline a route when no other airlines are competing for the same limited opportunity,” Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, said in a prepared statement Thursday. “When you couple the lack of other applicants with our demonstrated knowledge of the Japanese market, it is clear that granting Hawaiian the right to operate this lone nighttime slot from Haneda to Kona and Honolulu is in the best interest of the United States and the traveling public.”
Hawaiian Airlines is looking to fly between Kona and Japan three days each week and between Honolulu and Japan four days each week. The routes would be served with A330 aircraft capable of carrying 278 passengers in the first/business, extra comfort and main cabins.
The Honolulu/Kona service would be the second Haneda route operated by the airline, joining the Honolulu-Haneda daily service Hawaiian began in November 2010. The airline has also sought confirmation that it will continue to operate its existing service during the daytime hours under the latest agreement.
Gov. David Ige has been joined by Hawaii’s congressional delegation and Hawaii Island Mayor Billy Kenoi in supporting service between Tokyo and Kona.
Kona International Airport has not received a commercial flight from Japan since 2010 when Japan Airlines ceased the route.