Hawaiian's N494HA

The first of two "new" 717-2BLs for Hawaiian Airlines, under lease from Boeing Capital, arrived this afternoon from Oakland as HA8981. In keeping with the tradition of naming their fleet of 717s after native birds, N494HA (c/n 55182, l/n 5138, f/n 94), was given the Hawaiian name of the White-tailed Tropic bird, Koa‘e Kea.

N494HA was originally leased to Midwest from Boeing Capital Corporation on December 6, 2004 as N920ME. It then went to MexicanaClick on January 6, 2010 as N920ME. Volotea Airlines became the next operator to lease the frame on March 21, 2013 and received the Spanish registration, EI-FBK.