Alaska Airlines unveils Hawaiian interisland fleet upgrade

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Alaska Airlines unveiled Tuesday its future fleet for interisland travel.

Read more First Alert Forecast: Trade wind showers plus watching Hurricane Fausto over the EPac

A larger, modern fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft will replace Hawaiian Airlines’ current Boeing 717s, offering improvements like free in-flight Wi-Fi, larger overhead bin storage, and in-seat power.

“In the neighbor islands, we need an aircraft that is durable and robust,” said Jim Landers, head of Hawaii operations for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines. “The 737-800 is a proven airframe and engine combination that we expect to perform admirably here in the islands.”

Airline officials said the new fleet will feature twice as many First Class seats and 30 more Premium Class seats.

Read more 5 injured after tree falls onto vehicle on Hana Highway

“When we have a really high volume of travelers, the larger aircraft will serve us well and be able to carry more passengers in that midday bank, which sometimes, especially in the summertime, can get challenging for us,” said Landers. “It’s quite a bit more capacity, and certainly an opportunity for us to reward our loyalty members.”

Officials said the aircraft will be staffed with Honolulu-based pilots and flight attendants.

Officials said one 737-800 will be added in October to supplement the current interisland fleet, with a phased transition expected to begin in 2028.

Read more With flood repairs nearly done, Hokulani Elementary seeks move-in help