Southwest secures Honolulu airport space
Southwest is inching ever closer to launching Hawaii service. The carrier has already confirmed its intent to fly to the state, though the start date for the service remains up in the air. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly has said that could come this year, though he cautioned that the first flights might slip into 2019 as the airline awaits federal certification to operate its Boeing 737 planes on the long over-water routes to the state. Despite the uncertain timetable, however, the airline’s Hawaii effort appears to have taken a tangible step forward. Southwest has reportedly been granted “a revocable permit” for space at Hawaii’s busiest airport in Honolulu. “We understand there is a lot of excitement regarding the service and we are working with the airline to accommodate its logistical needs,” Hawaii Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Sakahara said in a statement to the newspaper. “Southwest Airlines is currently seeking its Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards (ETOPS) clearance, which would allow the airline to make the trans-Pacific flights.” Southwest confirmed that it’s pushing forward as it works to firm up the exact launch date.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2018-03-20/unaligned/southwest-secures-honolulu-airport-space
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Southwest secures Honolulu airport space
Southwest is inching ever closer to launching Hawaii service. The carrier has already confirmed its intent to fly to the state, though the start date for the service remains up in the air. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly has said that could come this year, though he cautioned that the first flights might slip into 2019 as the airline awaits federal certification to operate its Boeing 737 planes on the long over-water routes to the state. Despite the uncertain timetable, however, the airline’s Hawaii effort appears to have taken a tangible step forward. Southwest has reportedly been granted “a revocable permit” for space at Hawaii’s busiest airport in Honolulu. “We understand there is a lot of excitement regarding the service and we are working with the airline to accommodate its logistical needs,” Hawaii Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Sakahara said in a statement to the newspaper. “Southwest Airlines is currently seeking its Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards (ETOPS) clearance, which would allow the airline to make the trans-Pacific flights.” Southwest confirmed that it’s pushing forward as it works to firm up the exact launch date.<br/>
