Hawaiian Airlines looks to add additional Asian destinations

Hawaiian Airlines may tap additional destinations in Asia once the introduction of new Airbus planes frees up long-haul airplanes currently tied up serving the US West Coast, the carrier’s CE Mark Dunkerley said. The carrier starting next year will receive the first of 16 Airbus Group SE A321neo narrowbodies, which will be used to serve West Coast destinations. Once the planes, which seat up to 189 passengers, are in service some of the airline’s A330 widebodies can be redeployed to Asian destinations, Dunkerley said Wednesday. The airline has about 10 to 12 candidate destinations to add to its network, though Mr. Dunkerley said it was premature to say where the plane may fly. Asia has been a focus for growth for the carrier since 2010. Further expansion could come when Hawaiian Airlines starts taking delivery of its six A330-800 long-range planes in 2019. The carrier has yet to decide whether they will be used to entirely replace some of the older Airbus widebodies or to fly to more destinations. Dunkerley said the airline could also consider eventually introducing even longer-range planes to serve locations further afield. Such a move wouldn’t come before the turn of the decade, though, he added.<br/>