Hawaiian Airlines launched its inaugural flight from Honolulu to Sapporo, Japan, and restored nonstop service between the two cities that had been discontinued by other carriers nine years earlier.
HONOLULU – Passengers of the inaugural flight enjoyed a festive island-style send-off at Honolulu International Airport before boarding, featuring Hawaiian music and hula, a traditional Hawaiian blessing, presentation of fresh flower lei, and a special performance honoring the Japanese culture.
Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian‘s president and CEO, said, “We are delighted to be restoring the convenience of nonstop service to Hawai’i for travelers in Hokkaido and look forward to bringing increasing numbers of visitors from the region to our island home. At the same time, we know that many of our customers in Hawai’i and North America with an affinity for Japan will take the opportunity of this new service to experience the unique sites and cultural attractions of northern Japan.“
The capital city of the island of Hokkaido, Japan’s second-largest and northernmost island, Sapporo is Japan’s fourth-largest city with a population of 1.9 million. Sapporo is renowned for its ski resorts – the city hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics – and the world-famous Sapporo Snow Festival, which annually attracts millions of visitors each February to see its spectacular snow and ice sculptures.
Hawaiian’s Honolulu-Sapporo service is adding 41,000 new air seats to the market annually and the benefit to Hawai’i’s visitor industry will be significant, according to the Hawai’i Tourism Authority.
“Today’s launch of Hawaiian Airlines’ new Sapporo route is great news for Hawai’i’s tourism economy and will generate an estimated $61 million in visitor spending and $6.7 million in state tax revenue,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the Hawai’i Tourism Authority. “The flight will also provide residents of Hokkaido with its only direct access to Hawai’i. We remain committed to working with Hawaiian Airlines to ensure the success of this flight and providing visitors greater accessibility to our state.“
Hawaiian’s Flight HA 441 departs Honolulu International Airport on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 2:45 p.m., crosses the international dateline, and arrives at Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport at 7:00 p.m. the following day.
The return flight HA 442 departs Sapporo on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 9:30 p.m., crosses the international dateline, and arrives in Honolulu at 9:55 a.m. the same day.
Hawaiian will operate its Honolulu-Sapporo flights offering the comfort and roominess of its wide-body, twin-aisle Boeing 767-300ER aircraft seating 264 passengers, with 18 in Business Class and 246 in the Main Cabin.
Travelers will enjoy a customized presentation of Hawaiian’s signature inflight hospitality program, combining its celebration of the islands’ culture, people, and Aloha Spirit with entertainment options and special onboard products designed for the Japanese traveler.
Sapporo is the fourth city in Japan that Hawaiian has introduced nonstop service in the past two years following Tokyo (November 2010), Osaka (July 2011), and Fukuoka (April 2012).
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
