Overview
- Alaska Air Group announced Tuesday that it will replace Hawaiian Airlines’ aging Boeing 717s with Hawaiian‑branded Boeing 737‑800s and aims to begin the formal fleet transition in 2028.
- As an interim step, one Alaska‑branded 737 will be based in Honolulu starting in October 2026 to operate three daily roundtrips between Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Kahului (OGG) from Terminal 1.
- The 737‑800s will substantially increase per‑aircraft capacity and premium space, roughly doubling First Class seats and adding more than 30 Premium seats, which should create more upgrade opportunities for Huaka‘i by Hawaiian and Atmos Rewards members.
- The aircraft will carry Hawaiian branding, be based in Honolulu, and — once integration is complete — be flown and crewed by Honolulu‑based pilots and flight attendants, though Alaska has not yet disclosed how many 737‑800s will be assigned to Neighbor Island flying.
- Alaska frames the move as a pragmatic element of its Alaska Accelerate post‑merger plan: repurposing proven 737‑800 airframes adds cargo room and modern amenities such as free Starlink Wi‑Fi and power outlets while addressing the high cycles and salt‑air corrosion of island service.