Hawaiian Airlines Launches Daily Osaka Flights

Hawaiian Airlines has launched daily flights between Honolulu and Osaka, Japan.

Hawaiian’s daily, nonstop service from Osaka adds approximately 100,000 new air seats annually to Hawaii from Japan, the state’s second-largest market for visitors, and continues an expansion into Asia that is helping to boost Hawaii’s visitor industry and economy.

“Demand for our services in Japan has returned to pre-tsunami levels, and we are grateful for the enthusiastic response we are receiving from the people of Osaka. This new daily service reflects our confidence in the Japan market and in the important Kansai region in particular,” said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO.

Hawaiian introduced service to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in November 2010 and Seoul’s Incheon International Airport in January 2011.

“Congratulations to Hawaiian Airlines on its launch of direct service between Honolulu and Osaka’s Kansai International Airport,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA). “The new direct flight from Western Japan follows two other milestone flights into the Asia market for Hawaiian Airlines, from Honolulu to Haneda, Japan and Incheon, South Korea ... The HTA estimates the Osaka route will generate up to $120 million in visitor spending and $18 million in tax revenue annually. Together, all three routes will provide up to $350 million in visitor spending and $38 million in tax revenue annually for Hawaii’s tourism economy.”

With approximately three million residents, Osaka is a major economic and commercial center and comprises the largest segment of the Keihanshin Area, which also includes Kyoto and Kobe, and is Japan’s second-most populous area with more than 18 million residents.

In addition, Osaka’s Kansai International Airport is a regional hub giving Hawaiian the capability to attract a broader range of customers from Asia via convenient flight connections from other cities in Japan, China and Asia, as well as same-day ground connections from several major cities in Japan.

Hawaiian’s Flight #449 will depart Honolulu International Airport daily at 14:20 and arrive at Kansai International Airport at 18:00 the next day.

Return Flight #450 will depart Osaka daily at 21:30 and arrive in Honolulu at 10:50 the same day.

Hawaiian will initially operate the Honolulu-Osaka flights with its 264-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, before introducing its new 294-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft on the route.

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