Ahead of Alaska Air Group’s Investor Day on Tuesday, Alaska and Hawaiian announced plans to shake up their widebody networks. Next year, Hawaiian’s Airbus A330 aircraft will begin operating flights from Seattle to Asia and Alaska.
The airline said Hawaiian’s widebody jets will be deployed to Seattle in a move to “right-size” capacity to softened leisure demand between Hawaii and Japan. Starting in May 2025, Hawaiian’s A330s will operate flights from Alaska’s Seattle hub to Tokyo Narita.
Hawaiian currently serves Honolulu to Tokyo Narita, but the carrier says the aircraft used on this route will be “repositioned” to Seattle. Instead, the airline will boost capacity from Honolulu to Tokyo Haneda from 12 to 14 weekly flights.
Alaska Widebody Service
In addition, Hawaiian’s A330s will operate between Seattle and Anchorage during the summer season. Beginning on June 12, these aircraft will serve the route twice daily.
Alaska says the change was made “to take advantage of the aircraft’s higher seating and cargo capacity.” The A330s will operate between Seattle and Anchorage through Aug. 20.
Next summer, Alaska plans to offer at least 18 daily round-trip flights between the two cities. On the domestic front, Hawaiian will also utilize A330s between Honolulu and Sacramento, California.
More Seattle Long-Haul Routes
The recently merged airlines also have plans for more long-haul routes from Seattle. Along with Tokyo Narita, service between Seattle and Seoul, South Korea, is slated to begin in October 2025.
“We believe our guests will be as excited as we are about these new nonstop flights to Tokyo and Seoul – two of the world’s most dynamic cities. From our global gateway in Seattle, we can conveniently connect travelers from across our network as they head to Asia and beyond,” Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci said in a news release. “Hawaiian’s spacious widebody aircraft, along with its excellent onboard service and amenities, will make for a terrific trip from one side of the Pacific Rim to the other.”
By 2030, the carrier notes, it plans to offer service from Seattle to at least 12 long-haul destinations.
Hedging Against Boeing Delays
Alaska continues to face Boeing delivery delays. With Hawaiian’s Airbus aircraft now in the mix, the airline says it will increase aircraft utilization.
Hawaiian’s Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321neo aircraft will fly more hours, the carrier stated in the release.
“The A321s will fly 25% more than they did before,” the airline notes. “This strategy mitigates the impact of delayed Boeing 737 deliveries while enabling us to expand our overall network reach.”
Hawaiian has two Boeing 787s in its fleet, with more on order. The airline also has 18 A321neos.
