Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation reminds travelers that starting Oct. 3, check-in and bag drop for all international departures on Hawaiian Airlines will be consolidated in Terminal 2, Lobby 4 at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
Travelers are encouraged to check their flight information before arriving at the airport and allow extra time to familiarize themselves with the updated lobby location.
The change was implemented to improve lobby flow for passengers traveling through Terminals 1 and 2 on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
All Hawaiian and Alaska neighbor island flight check-ins and bag drops will remain at Terminal 1. This includes 3 daily flights between Honolulu and Kahului, Maui, on the Alaska Airlines-branded 737 aircraft, also starting Oct. 3.
Alaska and Hawaiian announced the addition of these flights to support neighbor island capacity as they proceed through integration.
The merged company announced a longer-term plan to retire the 717 fleet and transition to 737s carrying the Hawaiian Airlines brand, to be based in Honolulu, in the 2028 time frame. Hawaiian will continue to maximize use of the 717s for neighbor island flights in the meantime.
Hawaiian is also informing all neighbor island travelers to check in and drop checked bags at least 50 minutes before departure, up from the previous guidance of 30 minutes. The earlier check-in will help improve baggage handling and support on-time departures.
The 737 Honolulu-Kahului flight will serve as a case study for airport operators, state transportation officials and the airline to gain valuable operational experience and important insights to prepare for the full 737 fleet.
This includes determining the plane geometries needed to set jet bridges and other gating requirements for a plane of that size, shifting gates to accommodate spacing as well as other adjustments needed to maximize efficiency of passenger flow, baggage handling and aircraft servicing.
“[Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation] is working closely with Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines to ensure airport operations are prepared to accommodate the 737 interisland fleet,” said Hawai‘i Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen. “We appreciate Hawaiian Airlines’ and Alaska Airlines’ commitment to maintaining robust interisland connectivity with the deployment of temporary 737 flights as part of Hawaiian Airlines’ fleet modernization transition.”
Hawaiian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Diana Birkett Rakow said safe, reliable neighbor island service is critical to the airline’s identity and something it will continues.
“These adjustments in lobby flow, timeline and capacity enable us to continue connecting our communities while preparing for the future,” Rakow said. “We look forward to learning alongside [Hawai‘i Department of Transportation] and our airport partners to prepare for a fleet transition that preserves the reliability and connectivity our communities depend on while delivering an enhanced experience for our guests.”
