Hawaiian Airlines has officially restarted its popular seasonal service between Honolulu and Auckland, marking a welcome development for travelers in both the Pacific regions.
The inaugural flight HA446 took off on November 16, 2024. It carried over 200 eager passengers ready to experience either a tropical Hawaiian vacation or continue their journey to mainland United States.
Restored Transpacific Service
The airline’s renewed seasonal service features significant upgrades to enhance passenger comfort. Most notably, travelers can now enjoy complimentary high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi throughout their transpacific journey. This is a first for the Auckland-Honolulu route. The service operates on Hawaiian Airlines’ widebody Airbus A330 aircraft, which offers 278 seats and the carrier’s signature Hawaiian hospitality.
Flight Schedule
The seasonal service will run through April 30, 2025, with three weekly flights in each direction:
- HA445 (Honolulu to Auckland): Departs HNL at 1:05 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
- HA446 (Auckland to Honolulu): Departs AKL at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays
The flight timing allows New Zealand travelers to arrive in Honolulu at 9:15 a.m., providing a full day to explore Oahu or make convenient connections to other Hawaiian islands.
Expanded Network Connectivity
Through Hawaiian Airlines’ partnership with Alaska Airlines, passengers now have access to over 140 destinations across their combined network.
This expansion offers New Zealand travelers unprecedented connectivity to destinations throughout North and Central America. This makes the service particularly valuable for both leisure and business travelers.
Cultural Connection
The route carries special significance beyond mere transportation. Despite being separated by roughly 4,400 miles of Pacific Ocean, Hawaii and New Zealand (Aotearoa) share deep cultural bonds.
This includes their mutual commitment to preserving indigenous culture, language, and Pacific Island heritage. Hawaiian Airlines has been nurturing this connection since March 2013, when it first began serving the Auckland market.
Summary
As Hawaii’s largest and longest-serving airline, Hawaiian Airlines has been connecting the Pacific region for over nine decades.
The carrier is renowned for its commitment to Hawaiian culture and hospitality, incorporating local values and traditions into every aspect of its service.
Russell Williss, Hawaiian Airlines’ country director for New Zealand, emphasizes the airline’s dedication to the market. “We love connecting people with aloha and take our decade-long commitment to connecting New Zealand with Hawaii and the United States very seriously.”
The resumption of this seasonal service represents more than just a flight route – it serves as a bridge between two Pacific cultures. It offers travelers an authentic Hawaiian experience from the moment they spot the iconic Pualani tail at Auckland Airport.
Click the banner to subscribe to our weekly newsleter.
Click the photo to join our WhatsApp channel so then you can stay up to date with everything going on in the aviation industry!
