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Hawaiʻi welcomes first Aussies as Hawaiian Airlines Honolulu flights resume

The Aloha Spirit was in the air today as Hawaiian Airlines celebrated the return of Australian visitors to Hawaiʻi after a 21-month hiatus.

The Aloha Spirit was in the air today as Hawaiian Airlines celebrated the return of Australian visitors to Hawaiʻi after a 21-month hiatus.

Flight HA452 today arrived at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) and was welcomed with a special celebration hosted by the Hawaiian Airlines employees.

Guests were gifted with fresh lei and a keepsake tote bag and enjoyed live music and hula by the Hawaiian Airlines Serenaders Group.

Hawaiian has resumed its pre-pandemic Sydney-Honolulu schedule of five-times-weekly service after suspending its Australia flights in March 2020 due to travel restrictions imposed at the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic.

“The response to our return was immediate, and we are thrilled to have restarted in time for Christmas and the New Year and to be bringing the first Australians back to Hawai’i,” said Andrew Stanbury, Hawaiian Airlines Regional Director for Australia and New Zealand.

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Hawaiian Airlines’ Australian team members at SYD Airport last night from left: Andrew Best, Head of Industry Sales Australia, 
Andrew Stanbury, Regional Director Australia & New Zealand, Celeste Arthur, Sales Support Co-ordinator, Kathy Mainerd, Senior Manager, South Pacific, Airport Operations and Daniel Arbovski, General Manager – Airport Operations

“Australians love Hawaiʻi, and the feeling is mutual. In 2019 the Hawaiian Islands welcomed around 288,500 Australians with more than half travellers being repeat visitors,” he said.

From 15 December, Flight HA452 will operate non-stop from Sydney to Honolulu departing at 9:40 pm every Tuesday, Thursday Friday, Saturday and Sunday, arriving in Honolulu at 10.35 am.

“Our overnight flights to Honolulu are timed so that our guests can be on the beach in Waikīkī by mid-afternoon, or to travel onwards to other islands with easy domestic connections,” he added.

In addition to Hawaiian’s nonstop Sydney-Honolulu flights, Aussies regain access to 16 U.S. mainland cities via the carrier’s extensive domestic network while planning a stopover in the Hawaiian Islands. Destinations include New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Portland, Long Beach, San Francisco, Boston, Oakland, Austin, Sacramento, San Diego, San Jose, Seattle, Orlando, Phoenix and Ontario, California.

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A very special welcome at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport

“Since announcing our restart we have had very strong demand for flights from Australia to many of our US mainland destinations,” Mr Stanbury said.

“More and more Australians are discovering the appeal of flying via Honolulu to the US, often with a stop-off in the Hawaiian Islands en route and we expect that to increase,” he said.

Hawaiian Airlines is operating the route with its 278-seat, spacious wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft, which features 18 Premium Cabin lie-flat leather seats, 68 of its popular Extra Comfort seats, and 192 Main Cabin seats.

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Aloha!

The carrier’s guests will continue to enjoy its award-winning service, including island-inspired complimentary meals, beers and cocktails. Hawaiian also offers Australian travellers an industry-leading free checked baggage allowance of 64 kilos per person (two free bags weighing up to 32 kilos each).

Hawaiian commenced Sydney-Honolulu services in May 2004 and maintained its position as a leading destination carrier for travel from Australia to Hawaiʻi.

Currently, International travellers entering the United States via Hawaiʻi must show proof of vaccination and a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within 24 hours of departure and are encouraged to monitor federal travel regulations to ensure they are following the latest entry requirements.

Head over to www.hawaiianairlines.com.au to view their updated flight schedules.