Southwest Airways is giving the Hawaiian metropolis of Hilo its first nonstop hyperlink to the continental U.S. in additional than three years.
The provider on Friday introduced plans to launch nonstop service between Las Vegas’ Harry Reid Worldwide Airport (LAS) and Hilo Worldwide Airport (ITO), which is on the jap facet of the island of Hawaii (typically referred to as the Huge Island).
Town has been with out a direct connection to the U.S. mainland since United Airways ended its longstanding Hilo service from Los Angeles in early 2023.
Southwest’s new nonstop service to Hilo
Southwest’s new flights to Hilo from Las Vegas will start Aug. 6, the provider introduced Friday.
From the outset, the airline will fly between Las Vegas and Hilo 3 times every week.
Right here’s how the itinerary shapes up:
- LAS-ITO: Departs 9:30 a.m., arrives 12:35 p.m. (all occasions native)
- ITO-LAS: Departs 8:45 p.m., arrives 5:10 a.m. subsequent day (all occasions native)
Flights will run Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
This new service shall be Southwest’s fifth route between Las Vegas and the Aloha State.
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It’ll additionally complement the inter-island service the provider already flies from ITO. At present, Southwest operates 5 every day round-trip flights between Hilo and the state capital of Honolulu.
Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda on Friday touted the brand new nonstop hyperlink as a strategy to strengthen ties between the Huge Island and Las Vegas — generally known as the “Ninth Island” as an ode to its sturdy cultural ties with Hawaii.
“Faster flights throughout the Pacific means extra comfort for our native households and one other likelihood to assist our hometown airline,” Alameda mentioned in an announcement that had a little bit of irony. Southwest is definitely based mostly in Dallas, although it does have a powerful presence in Las Vegas and has operated Hawaii service since 2019.
The state’s namesake airline, Hawaiian Airways — now owned by mum or dad firm Alaska Air Group — at present serves Hilo with inter-island service. Nonetheless, it doesn’t have a nonstop hyperlink from ITO to the U.S. mainland.
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Bolstering its Hawaiian footprint
This new ITO-LAS route is the third new flight between the U.S. mainland and Aloha State that Southwest has introduced in the previous couple of weeks.
In November, the provider revealed plans to serve Honolulu from each Ontario and Burbank, California — each starting subsequent summer time.
Hilo is dwelling to roughly 45,000 residents, and it is a few 75-minute drive from Kona, which sits on the western facet of the Huge Island.
It is typically seen as a much less touristy vacation spot, with a smaller-town really feel. It is dwelling to few huge brand-name motels other than Hilton’s Grand Naniloa Resort Hilo, which is a part of its Doubletree portfolio.
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