Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330s at the terminal in Honolulu – Photo: Mal Muir | AirlineReporter.com
Getting to New Zealand from the United States is a very limited affair. The only way to get there directly is with Air New Zealand and at some times of the year (around Christmas, especially) capacity becomes limited due to operating only three daily flights (two from LAX, one from SFO).
More recently a new choice was offered to New Zealand; Hawaiian Airlines flying from Honolulu (HNL) to Auckland (AKL). The new flights started in March and they fly three times a week between the two cities.
Using their new Airbus A330-200 aircraft, Hawaiian’s service to the south Pacific allows one-stop service from a number of west coast cities (although all cities, apart from Seattle, require an overnight stay in Honolulu when southbound). After I had flown down to Hawaii from Seattle and spent a brief two hours in the warmth that permeates Honolulu airport, it was time to board another Hawaiian aircraft for my journey to New Zealand.
Boeing’s Everett Factory. Image: Chris Sloan / Airchive.com
Written by Chris Sloan and originally published at Airchive.com on October 9, 2013
Editor’s note: Welcome to part one of our multi-part epoch on the fascinating history of the Boeing Everett plant. We will be rolling the series out over the next month, so sit back, grab a glass of your favorite beverage, and enjoy the read.
Nestled 22 miles north of Seattle in a woodsy suburb of Everett, Washington is Boeing’s sprawling modern miracle of an airliner factory; a place so massive, so technologically sophisticated, and so vital to the world’s aviation industry, it’s hard to wrap your head around it much less write an article about it. What began as the birthplace of the world’s first wide-body airliner, the iconic Boeing 747, is, as of the end of July 2013, the site where a little over 50% of the world’s wide-body aircraft have ever been produced. Indeed, out of 6,746 aircraft produced by Airbus, Lockheed, Douglas, Ilyushin, and Boeing combined; a staggering 3,715 have been produced at Boeing’s Everett plant.
Even in The Bahamas, the view is always better with AirlineReporter! And no, I did not end up vandalizing the hotel – Photo: Blaine Nickeson | AirlineReporter.com
Recently, the Nassau Airport Development authority in The Bahamas opened a new $83.5 million terminal to serve all non-US international destinations, as well as ’œFamily Island’ domestic travel (a new US-preclearance terminal opened a few years ago). AirlineReporter.com was invited by the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism to come tour the new airport and view the sites and some new developments in Nassau (including the $3.5 billion ’“ with a ’œB’ ’“ Baha Mar development project). Note: While I was a guest of the Ministry of Tourism on this trip, all opinions are my own.
In this part, I will cover the “experience” of getting to Nassau, as well as the amazing cultural exchange opportunity I was afforded on the night of my arrival.
An AN-10 at the Monino Aviation Museum – Photo: Alan Wilson
When most people think about Soviet, four-engine, turbine passenger aircraft, they tend to think about the “classics”; the IL-18 and the Tu-114. There are reasons, of course, why the Antonov AN-10 doesn’t immediately jump to mind – but that ignores the significant contributions it made to domestic travel within the Soviet Union.
The Tupolev Tu-104 was a great aircraft, and when prestige mattered more than unit cost, it was a perfect way of showing Soviet aeronautical achievement abroad. Russian flag carrier Aeroflot, however, was directed to offer cost-effective transport to all points within the Soviet Union and satellite states. There was another issue; the Tu-104, while durable by early jet standards, was still difficult to maintain after frequent operations on “less prepared” airfields.
Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767-300 in Honolulu – Photo: Mal Muir | AirlineReporter.com
As winter fast approaches, now is the time of year that we all think of sun, sand, and warm temperatures. Sitting by the beach, drinking a fruity cocktail at the bar, or just getting that tan you can’t normally get. When you think of these things, often one place will pop into someones head – Hawaii. Long a destination for many an American to get away from life, to escape to a different climate, a different culture, or a different way of life, Hawaii will forever be that imagination destination.
A brief six-hour flight from most west coast cities, the main destination for most is the island of Oahu, and its major hub for inbound traffic, Honolulu. A number of airlines fly from a good portion of the west coast cities but there is only one that holds the name of Hawaiian Airlines. With a long-range fleet that solely consists of widebody aircraft (there are currently orders for some single-aisle Airbus A321s) it can be the most comfortable way of flying to Hawaii (who wants to be trapped in a 737 for 6 hours?), while still embracing that vacation you’re about to experience.
Started in 1929, Hawaiian Airlines has long had service to the mainland from its Honolulu (HNL) base and continues to serve the major cities on the west coast, along with a few smaller cities and, of course, New York. Seattle has long had a connection with the Hawaiian Islands and it is no surprise that it has two services per day to Hawaii (one to Oahu, the other Maui). Both flights are currently operated by the workhorse of the Hawaiian fleet, the 767-300 (no ERs here!) though they will soon (as of December) be swapping over to the more fuel-efficient Airbus A330-200.
