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Hawaiian Resumes Regular Honolulu – Sydney Service

A Hawaiian A330-200 in Las Vegas (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

The aviation industry might have started this year off to quite the rocky and uncertain start, alongside quite a number of bumps and futile plans as well. Fortunately for the industry, it might actually end this year and start the next with triumph for riding out the COVID-19 pandemic rather victoriously.

In light of the recent good news of airlines launching and resuming routes within their networks, yet another airline chips in to keep the industry going.

Hawaiian Airlines hops on the bandwagon as it recently confirmed the resumption of its five-times-weekly flight service between Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport.

Andrew Stanbury, Regional Director for Australia and New Zealand, Hawaiian Airlines,  said in a company press release, “We are thrilled to reconnect Hawaii and Australia and have been encouraged by the public’s response to Australia’s national vaccination program, enabling the reopening of borders.”

First Restoration

In March 2020, the airline previously suspended service due to travel restrictions and low demand. The new flight service resumption from Honolulu to Sydney is the first restoration of the Australia service since then.

Set to resume on December 13, flight 451 will depart Honolulu on Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays at 11:50 a.m., arriving in Sydney at 7:45 p.m. the next day.

Starting from December 15, flight 452 will depart Sydney on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sundays at 9;40 p.m. and is scheduled to arrive in Honolulu at 10:35 a.m.

The flight service will be operated using the Hawaiian flag carrier’s Airbus A330-200 aircraft, which boasts 18 Premium Cabin seats, 68 Extra Comfort seats and 192 Main Cabin seats.

Leading Destination Carrier

Currently, Hawaii only allows international travelers from Japan, South Korea, Canada and French Polynesia to submit tests for the purposes of bypassing the state’s 10-day traveler quarantine.

Moreover, Hawaii only allows vaccination exemptions for those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States mainland or U.S. territories.

As for the current restrictions in Australia, only Australian citizens and returning permanent residents and their immediate family members are permitted to enter without an exemption.

This could be the reason why the restoration of service only came just after Gov. David Ige made an announcement that from November 1, Hawaii would be ready to welcome back vaccinated travelers for non-essential travel.

The Honolulu-based airline started the Honolulu to Sydney flight service more than a decade ago in May 2004 and has since maintained its position as a leading destination carrier for travel to Hawaii via New South Wales.

Besides this, Hawaiian Airlines also has a three-times-weekly service between Honolulu and Brisbane which was launched fairly recently in November 2012, but still remains paused.

With the continuous evolving of international rules and if the trend of fortunate events keeps going, the possibility of Honolulu to Brisbane, Australia being resumed might just be around the corner.

Charlotte Seet

Author

  • Charlotte Seet

    Fascinated by aircraft from a very young age, Charlotte’s dream was to work alongside the big birds one day. Pursuing her dream, she went on to achieve her diploma in Aviation Management and is currently working on her degree in Aviation Business in Administration with a minor in Air Traffic Management. When she’s not busy with school assignments, you can find her aircraft spotting for long hours at the airport. In Charlotte’s heart, the Queen of the Skies will always be her favorite aircraft.

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