I can’t say I’m terribly shocked, however Hawaiian Airways will likely be canceling considered one of its longer home flights, as reported by Ishrion Aviation.
Hawaiian Airways cuts Honolulu to Austin flights as of March 2025
As of March 26, 2025, Hawaiian Airways will cancel its flight between Honolulu (HNL) and Austin (AUS), which at present operates 2-3x weekly. For context, the flight is operated by an Airbus A330-200 with the next schedule:
HA94 Honolulu to Austin departing 8:50AM arriving 9:15PM
HA93 Austin to Honolulu departing 9:15AM arriving 1:05PM
The three,763-mile flight operates eastbound on Sundays and Thursdays with a block time of 7hr25min, and operates westbound on Mondays and Fridays with a block time of 8hr50min.
This route was introduced in late 2020 and was launched in March 2021, in the course of the peak of the pandemic. Across the similar time, the airline additionally launched a path to Orlando, which ended up being lower in 2022. So at the least the Austin route lasted for 4 years.
It’s not a shock to see the Austin route lower
It shouldn’t come as a lot of a shock that Hawaiian Airways is slicing Austin service. The route made sense in the course of the peak of the pandemic, when Hawaiian had restricted locations it might fly its vast physique jets, provided that so many locations within the South Pacific had been closed to guests (Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and many others.).
So flying an A330 to Austin (with fairly dangerous plane utilization in addition) was higher than simply parking it, however that’s about all that may be mentioned. In fact issues have developed fairly a bit since then. Whereas flying throughout the Pacific profitably can nonetheless be difficult, each nation has reopened to guests, and demand has been rising, slowly however steadily.
However arguably what actually “killed” this route is Alaska’s takeover of Hawaiian. Alaska Air Group is now capable of do its route and fleet planning extra centrally, and presumably the airline group has determined that there are extra worthwhile locations it could possibly ship these vast physique jets. That might be in Asia or the South Pacific (with elevated feed from Alaska through Honolulu), or it might even be between Honolulu and Alaska hubs within the mainland.
Whereas Alaska Air Group is dedicated to sustaining a hub in Honolulu, I’ve to think about that in some unspecified time in the future we’ll see some vast physique jets stationed in Seattle. I don’t suppose it’s going to occur quickly, however I’d be shocked if Hawaiian’s 787s don’t finally fly out of the Pacific Northwest.
I’m certain the Austin route would have survived if it might be operated by a slender physique jet with higher economics, however it simply doesn’t make a lot sense with vast physique plane.
Backside line
Hawaiian Airways will discontinue its Honolulu to Austin route as of late March 2025. The route was first launched in early 2021, so it’s going to have operated for round 4 years. The route made sense when it began, however with the evolution of demand, plus Alaska’s takeover of Hawaiian, this route was sure to be lower sooner reasonably than later.
What do you make of Hawaiian slicing Austin flights?