Southwest Airlines received Federal Aviation Administration approval last month to begin flights to the Hawaiian Islands.
The carrier has not yet announced ticket sales or a launch date, but it intends to operate routes between the West Coast and Hawaii. Securing FAA authorization is a significant milestone in Southwest’s expansion plans for the year.
As part of the certification process, Southwest conducted its first landing in Hawaii last month when a Boeing 737-800 touched down at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
Southwest initially revealed plans to serve Hawaii in October 2017 and had aimed to begin selling tickets in 2018; however, the partial federal government shutdown earlier this year delayed those timelines.
The airline plans to operate flights to Hawaii from four California cities: Oakland, San Diego, San Jose and Sacramento. Destinations in Hawaii will include Honolulu, Kahului on Maui, Kona on the Big Island and Lihue on Kauai, and Southwest also intends to offer inter-island service.
Industry observers expect Southwest’s entry to increase competition and put downward pressure on fares to and within Hawaii, potentially making travel to the islands more affordable for many travelers.