Hawaiian Airlines will resume services to Australia in time for the peak Christmas holiday period after a 21-month hiatus due to the global pandemic.
The Honolulu-based airline will restart flights to Sydney from 15 December 2021, having suspended its operation to Sydney and Brisbane from March 2020. Flights on the HNL-SYD route (available to book effective immediately) will initially commence and five times weekly.
Flight HA452 will depart Sydney on Tuesdays and Thursday through Sunday at 9:40pm with a 10:35am scheduled arrival in Honolulu, allowing guests to check in to their accommodations and begin
exploring O‘ahu, or connect to a neighbouring island. Services from Honolulu to Sydney will operate as HA451 departing HNL on Mondays and Wednesday through Saturday at 11:50am and arrive at SYD approximately 7:45pm the next day.
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“We are thrilled to reconnect Hawaiʻi and Australia and have been encouraged by the public’s response to Australia’s national vaccination program, enabling the reopening of borders,” said Andrew Stanbury, Regional Director for Australia and New Zealand at Hawaiian Airlines.
“Hawai’i is a hugely popular holiday destination for Australians, and we know many people have been keenly waiting to visit Hawaiʻi again.”
“We are looking forward to safely welcoming our guests back on board to enjoy the authentic hospitality that we know our guests love, and have missed,” he added.
The decision to relaunch flights to Sydney comes hot on the heels of an announcement by Hawaiʻi’s Governor David Ige last week, to welcome back visitors to the Aloha State from 1 November 2021.
In addition to convenient nonstop flights to Hawai‘i, Australian travellers flying on Hawaiian Airlines also regain access to the carrier’s extensive US domestic network, allowing them to seamlessly continue their travels to 16 US mainland gateways – including new destinations in Austin, Orlando, and Ontario, California – with the option to enjoy a stopover in the Hawaiian Islands.
Hawaiian will operate the SYD-HNL route with its 278-seat, wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft, which features 18 Premium Cabin lie-flat leather seats, 68 of its popular Extra Comfort seats, and 192 Main Cabin seats.
Australian travellers are permitted a free checked baggage allowance of a whopping 64 kilos per person (two free bags weighing up to 32 kilos each), as well as island-inspired complimentary meals, beers and cocktails onboard.
Currently, international entry requirements for the state of Hawaiʻi are yet to be confirmed, with Hawaiian hoping the state will align its requirements with US government rules requiring international arrivals to show proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of departure effective, 8 November.
A resumption date for Hawaiian Airlines’ Brisbane route is yet to be advised.