Hawaiian Airlines recently took delivery of their first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, marking the start of a new era in the airline.
The aircraft is the first of 12 Dreamliners that it ordered to enhance its long-range routes, as well as its onboard customer experience and cabins.
“This day has been a long time coming – in fact, today marks almost six years to the date when we first announced our investment in the 787-9 as the new flagship fleet for our company,” said Peter Ingram, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, during his welcome remarks at the delivery event.
The First Hawaiian 787s
Boeing’s Darren Hulst and HawaiianÊ»s Peter Ingram
The first aircraft to be delivered to Hawaiian is N781HA, and it has been given the name Kapuahi.
Kapuahi is a red giant star known as Aldebaran in Western astronomy. It is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus and appears in the Pacific sky alongside Makali’i, a celestial cluster of great importance in Hawaiian storytelling, wayfinding and agriculture.
Each 787 aircraft in Hawaiian’s fleet will be given a name important to the island chain’s culture, with N780HA set to join the fleet in April and a third example later in 2024.
Where Will Hawaiian’s 787s Fly
Hawaiian’s first 787 will begin flying crew familiarisation flights between Hawaii and mainland America, before commencing passenger duties on 15 April between Honolulu and San Francisco International.
Other routes will soon follow:
- Honolulu – Los Angeles International (Starts 14 May)
- Honolulu – Phoenix Sky Harbor (Starts 15 May)
- Kahului – Los Angeles International (Starts 16 October)
Each route will initially operate 1x daily.
The long-awaited arrival of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners adds to recent milestones for Hawaiian, which include becoming the world’s first major carrier to deploy Starlink Wi-Fi, preparing to combine with Alaska Airlines and celebrating its 95th anniversary in November.
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