Hawaiian Airlines Updates
Three New Airbus 330-200 Aircraft Now Scheduled for 2010
This is Hawaiian Airlines’ first non-Boeing aircraft acquisitions in years. It will increase their ability to compete on more distant routes including the East Coast and Asia.
I’m not betting on Asia yet but will on Chicago, Atlanta and New York.
The new planes will feature:
- 6,050 nautical mile range
- 2-class seating
- 298 passenger seating capacity
- Improved fuel efficiency
- Rolls Royce engines
My Prediction: There’s Going to be a Buy-Out.
As I mentioned when first discussing Hawaiian’s Airbus order last summer, I remain skeptical about their ability to stay independent in the long term. This is in no way a reflection of anything wrong at Hawaiian, it is merely the state of the airline industry. Thus I consider their future aircraft orders as a backup plan contingent on the larger question of company ownership. While airline consolidation seems to be taking a breather for the moment following the Delta/Northwest deal, I hardly think we’ve heard the last on the subject.
New Panasonic Touch Screen Seat-Back Entertainment Systems Being Added in 2009
Hawaiian’s new state-of-the-art entertainment system is being installed at a cost of $2 million per plane. Say goodbye to their DigiPlayers.
- Ten planes will be outfitted by next summer
- Supports 300 hours of movies and TV, plus 50 games and 500 hours of music
- Control via touch screen or handset installed in seat
- Travel bookings can be made using the system
- “Seat chat” lets you converse electronically with other passengers
- Future upgrades may include email, text messaging and Wi-Fi.
- Same system used by Singapore, Qatar and Avianca and others.
Special Preview: If you find yourself in Honolulu’s Inter-Island terminal, look for their interactive demonstration system and try it for yourself.
No Wi-Fi Yet Across the Pacific: Also, as I wrote about previously, no carrier, including Hawaiian offers Wi-Fi between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. That now appears unlikely to happen anytime soon.
