11 November 2024

Veteran's Day

The HNL RareBirds™ team expresses our deep gratitude to the men and women of the United States armed forces who have served, or are serving our country. Mahalo for your service to protect our country and our freedoms.

Hauʻoli Lā Hānau Hawaiian Airlines

Hauʻoli Lā Hānau! Hawaiian Airlines celebrates its 95th anniversary today.

Silk Way West Airlines' 4K-SW800

Silk Way West Airlines' 747-4R7F, 4K-SW800 (c/n 2729, l/n 1189), is making a brief fuel stop at HNL this morning. It's flying from YYC as AZG9382, and will continue onto WTB [Wellcamp Airport, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia].

10 November 2024

Royal Canadian Air Force's 15001

The Royal Canadian Air Force's CC-150 Polaris, 15001 (msn 446), is making a stop at HNL as CFC3156. This flight originated from YTR [CFB Trenton / Trenton Airport, Trenton, ON, Canada], and made a stop at PHX.

All Nippon Airways' JA901A

For this morning's flights between HND and HNL, All Nippon Airways has put a 787-10, JA901A (c/n 62859, l/n 852), on the service. Normally, ANA assigns a 787-9 for ANA186/185. It's not known how long the 787-10 will operate on this segment, or if this a fleet substitution.

N820CM

Cargo Aircraft Management is ferrying N820CM (msn 641), an A330-302, from TPE to CVG, via HNL. It's still wearing part of the China Airlines livery. It's not known who it will be leased to, or if (or when) it will be converted to a freighter.

641's History:
Dec 2004: Delivered to China Airlines as B-18303.
Sep 2019: Sold to Altavair Finance, and leased back.
Aug 2024: Withdrawn from service, and stored at TPE.
Oct 2024: Sold to Cargo Aircraft Management as N820CM.

09 November 2024

REX Airlines' VH-RQC

Castlelake is having VH-RQC (c/n 33797, l/n 1389) ferried to the US mainland, following its withdrawal from service by REX Airlines. It's ferrying from ADL to MZJ, via MEL, NAN, and HNL; with overnight stop at HNL tonight. It will be re-registered as 2-HRQC at MZJ.

33797's History:
Oct 2003: Delivered to Virgin Blue as VH-VOP.
Feb 2005: Transferred to Pacific Blue Airlines as ZK-PBB "Whitney Sundays".
Dec 2011: Pacific Blue rebrands as Virgin Australia New Zealand, and aircraft renamed as "Indian Head".
Feb 2015: Returned to Virgin Australia as VH-VOP  "Indian Head".
Mar 2020: Withdrawn from service, and stored at MEL.
Nov 2020: Sold to Castlelake, and ferried to CGK.
Dec 2020: Leased to REX Airlines as VH-RQC.
Jly 2024: Withdrawn from service, and stored at ADL.

Pregame Flyover

A KC-135R from the Hawai‘i Air National Guard's 203rd Air Refueling Squadron, 63-8030 (c/n 18647, l/n T0686), performed a flyover over the Clarence TC Ching Field at the end of the Star-Spangled Banner, before the UNLV-Hawai‘i football game this afternoon. 63-8030 flew from east to west with its tail boom down and the probe extended. The flyover was part of the Military Appreciation Night event to celebrate Veteran's Day.

08 November 2024

Amazon Prime Air's N5843K

Hawaiian Airlines is taking delivery of N5843K (msn 1071). This Amazon Prime Air-liveried A330-343F has been inducted into service at SBD, with a flight to PDX as HAL1625.


1071’s History:
Dec 2009: Delivered to Etihad as A6-AFA.
Feb 2011: Painted in the "Visit Abu Dhabi" special livery.
Aug 2019: Withdrawn from service, and stored at AUH.
Jun 2020: Acquired by Altavair Finance, and ferried to TEV for storage.
Dec 2023: Ferried to DRS, registered as F-WTAN for freighter conversion.
Sep 2024: Ferried to SBD for paint into the Amazon Prime Air livery.

07 November 2024

Royal Australian Air Force's A30-001

A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail, A30-001 (c/n 33474, l/n 1245), is making a stop at HIK from SUU as ASY65. The flight originated from PAM, where it had been training. A30-001 is assigned to No 2 Squadron, based at NTL [RAAF Base Williamtown, Newcastle, South Wales, Australia]

Amazon Prime Air's N4663K

Hawaiian Airlines is taking delivery of N4663K (msn 1865). This A330-343F, operating for Amazon Prime Air, was inducted into service from SBD to HNL, as HAL1611.

1865's History:
Apr 2018: Built, but not taken by Hong Kong Arlines as B-LHG, stored at TLS.
Jly 2022: Acquired by Altavair Air Finance as F-WXAC, and stored at LDE.
May 2023: Ferried to BFM for storage, and freighter conversion.
Sep 2004: Ferried to SBD for painting in to the Amazon Prime Air livery.
Oct 2024: Ferried to PDX

Hawaiian Airlines Completes GTF Issues

CH-Aviation reports that Hawaiian Airlines has completed all of the necessary repairs on the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G, that affected their A321-271N fleet. All of Hawaiian's A321Ns are now back in service.

The report also mentioned that Hawaiian plans to keep their 717-200 fleet for at least the next three to five years, as they have calculated the timeline to reach 110,000 cycles per airframe. Currently, the airframes are approaching the 80,000 cycles mark.

UNLV Rebels Team Charter

The UNLV Rebels football team is chartering an Omni Air International 767-224ER today, for their road trip to play the Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors on Saturday. N234AX (c/n 30436, l/n 833) is making the flight from LAS to HNL as OAE2179. The Rebels will return to LAS following the game.


09 November 2024 UPDATE
The UNLV Rebels returned to LAS tonight, following their narrow victory over Hawai‘i.

Hawaiian Airlines' N208HA Moana 2 Special Livery

Hawaiian Airlines' A321-271N, N208HA "Koa" (msn 8123, f/n 208), now has Moana 2 special decals applied to the fuselage, and is returning to service today. This is the second of three Hawaiian's airliners to receive the promotional decals.

06 November 2024

Icelandair's TF-FIC

Icelandair's TF-FIC (c/n 30735, l/n 91) is making a brief fuel stop at HNL tonight from PPT as ICE1432. This 757-23N, wearing the Abercrombie & Kent special livery, will continue onto LAX, as part of a global charter flight. TF-FIC has been here before in the Abercrombie & Kent livery, while on other exclusive tours.

Royal Canadian Air Force's 140108

A CP-140M Aurora from the 407 Maritime Patrol Squadron / 19 Wing of the Royal Canadian Air Force made a stop at HNL before returning to YQQ [CFB Comox, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada]. 140108 (msn  285B-5709) arrived as CFC475, and departed for YQQ with the same flight number.

On a related note, the RCAF has ordered 14 P-8A Poseidons to replace the aging CP-140Ms, with deliveries slated to begin in 2026. The RCAF also has options for two more P-8As. Nothing was mentioned as to the possibility of having its own Canadian designation.

05 November 2024

Republic of Korea Air Force's 18-001

The ROKAF's Airbus KC-330 Cygnus MRTT, 18-001 (msn 1787), made a stop at HIK this morning, then departed later in the day for PUS as ARGO501.

Boeing and Machinists Settle Strike

Aviation Week reports that the Machinists union have accepted the latest proposal from Boeing, and agreed to end their nearly-two-month-long strike. The machinists are required to be back on the job no later than 12 November. Assembly lines for the 737, 767, and 777 will be back building airliners.

QantasLink's VH-YQS

Southern Cross International is ferrying QantasLink's 717-2BL, VH-YQS "Great Otway National Park" (c/n 55178, l/n 5128), from CBR to VCV, via APW and KOA, as SXI2472. Its stop today at KOA will be an overnighter.

According to our sources in Australia, this will be the last 717 to ferry out of Australia, as sister-ship, VH-YQW "Tassie Devil" (c/n 55194, l/n 5154) will remain in Down Under to be used by an engineering school.

55178's History:
Feb 2004: Delivered to Midwest Airlines as N916ME, under lease from Boeing Capital.
Jun 2009: Leased to MexicanaClick as XA-CLE.
Oct 2013: Leased to National Jet Systems to operate for QantasLink as VH-YQW.
___ 2019: Painted in the current livery, and named "Great Otway National Park".
Oct 2024: Flew the final QantasLink 717 revenue flight, then withdrawn from service.

Airnorth's N197JB

Southern Cross International is taking another try at delivering Airnorth's ERJ-190AR, N197JB (msn 19000020), as SXI2480. It stopped off at HNL on 14 October, but returned to SJO five days later. It's flying from SJO to ROK, via SDM, OAK, HNL, MAJ, and BNE; and its stop at HNL today will be an overnighter. ROK is the home of Alliance Airlines' maintenance base.

04 November 2024

Hauʻoli Lā Hānau 204th Airlift Squadron

The Hawaiʻi Air National Guard's 204th Airlift Squadron "Nā Pueo", of the 154th Wing, celebrates its 30th Anniversary today. Activated in 1994 to support the Hawaiʻi-based Army and Marine Corps units with eight C-130Hs, as well as humanitarian relief regionally and internationally.

In 2008, eight C-17As replaced the C-130Hs, and also became a joint service unit with the active duty 535th Airlift Squadron "Tigers" / 15th Wing.

01 November 2024

Upcoming 737MAX Deliveries

With airlines around Asia and Oceania ordering the 737 MAX series, a majority of these airliners will stop through Hawai‘i (mainly HNL) during the first segment of their island-hopping delivery flights from Boeing Field (BFI) [map]. Boeing has indicated that the variants will be referred to as the -x without the MAX name, we will do the same.

We launched our own Google Sheet documenting the 737 information below, as well as deliveries as of 2021.

Boeing P-8As and E-7As on order for armed forces around the Pacific Rim have been added below.

This post will be continuously updated as new information becomes available.

According to the Boeing Test Fights Google Sheet and PlaneSpotters.net's 737 MAX Production List, these listed below are the airframes that have begun final assembly, made its first flight from RNT, or are being readied for delivery on the BFI flightline. Those listed below, should make a stopover in Hawai‘i on their first segment out of BFI on their delivery flights in the near future. In the past, additional information was also provided by Tyke's Aero Blog, and The Boeing Test Flights website.

DELIVERED


» Ferrying to HSN [Zhoushan, China] for cabin completion, with a Boeing flight code.

• • • • •

ON ORDER
737 MAX
7263 | B-206L | 61374 | 9 Air | -8 (orange) | BOE452 « MWH
7351 | B-208E | 63276 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE692 « MWH » Air India Express VT-___
7371 | B-209A | 63284 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE693 « VCV » Air India Express VT-___
7408 | B-209C | 63287 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE694 « MWH » Air India Express VT-___
7415 | B-208F | 63277 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE695 « MWH » Air India Express VT-___
7440 | B-20A3 | 61637 | Shanghai Airlines | -8 | BOE616 « BFI
7493 | B-209V | 61143 | Shenzhen Airlines | -8 | BOE936 « BFI » Air India Express VT-___
7496 | B-209T | 63279 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE697 « BFI
7508 | B-20A0 | 61448 | Shandong Airlines | -8 * | BOE658 « MWH » Air India Express VT-___
7511 | B-209S | 63278 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE698 « MWH
7530 | B-209U | 63289 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE699 « MWH » Air India Express VT-___
7575 | B-20AG | 61449 | Shandong Airlines | -8 | BOE659 « MWH » Air India Express VT-___
7595 | B-20C7 | 63281 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE696 « MWH » Air India Express VT-___
7613 | B-20AU | 63290 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE701 « MWH » Air India Express VT-___
7624 | B-____ | 61712 | Kunming Airlines | -8 | BOE201 « MWH » Air India Express VT-___
7645 | B-20CC | 61645 | Shanghai Airlines | -8 | BOE619 « BFI
7676 | B-20DK | 61147 | Shenzhen Airlines | -8 | BOE940 « MWH » Air India Express VT-___
7690 | B-20CQ | 64677 | Xiamen Air | -8 | BOE339 « MWH
7691 | B-20C9 | 63283 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE704 « BFI
7715 | B-20D6 | 65258 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE712 « MWH
7723 | B-20DL | 61148 | Shenzhen Airlines | -8 | BOE941 « MWH
7750 | B-20CL | 43836 | Xiamen Air | -8 | BOE342 « BFI » Air India Express VT-___
7751 | B-20CT | 65251 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE714 « MWH
7761 | B-20DH | 60922 | Air China | -8 BOE275 « MWH
7764 | B-____ | 65275 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE715 « MWH
7784 | B-____ | 65253 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE716 « MWH
7795 | B-____ | 65257 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE717 « MWH
7798 | B-20DP | 61157 | Shenzhen Airlines | -8 | BOE942 « MWH
7813 | B-20DJ | 60923 | Air China | -8 | BOE276 « MWH
7826 | B-____ | 61652 | China Eastern Airlines | -8 | BOE622 « MWH » Air India Express VT-___
7831 | B-20DV | 42964 | Xiamen Air | -8 | BOE372 « VCV 
7865 | B-20DQ | 60924 | Air China | -8 | BOE278  « MWH
7867 | B-20E1 | 64679 | Xiamen Air | -8 | BOE375 « VCV
7875 | B-____ | 65250 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE719 « VCV
7878 | B-20E2 | 61456 | Shandong Airlines | -8 | BOE666 « MWH
7887 | B-____ | 63291 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE708  « MWH
7929 | B-224U | 61385 | 9Air | -8 (orange) | BOE454  « MWH » Boeing N5515R
7931 | B-20DS | 60826 | Air China | -8 | BOE279 « MWH
7934 | B-20DX | 64680 | Xiamen Air | -8 | BOE376  « MWH
7944 | B-20E3 | 60928 | Air China | -8 | BOE280 « BFI
7948 | B-20DY | 64681 | Xiamen Air | -8 | BOE377 « MWH
8001 | B-224E | 61657 | Shanghai Airlines | -8 | BOE625 « MWH
8100 | B-____ | 43840 | Xiamen Air | -8 | BOE380 « MWH
8125 | B-____ | 61661 | Shanghai Airlines | -8 | BOE629 « MWH
8178 | B-____ | 61154 | Shenzhen Airlines | -8 | BOE950 « MWH » Boeing N239BE
8181 | B-____ | 60938 | Air China | -8 | BOE284 « MWH
8186 | B-226E | 43841 | Xiamen Air | -8 | BOE387 « BFI
8189 | B-223V | 61460 | Shandong Airlines | -8 | BOE679 « MWH
8194 | B-____ | 43845 | Xiamen Air | -8 | BOE388 « MWH
8206 | B-____ | 60941 | Air China | -8 | BOE287 « BFI
8229 | B-____ | 61124 | Shenzhen Airlines | -8 | BOE954 « BFI
8235 | B-____ | 61153 | Shenzhen Airlines | -8 | BOE955 « MWH » Boeing N5573B
8248 | B-____ | 43847 | Xiamen Air | -8 | BOE391 « MWH
8254 | B-224L | 65254 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE171 « BFI
8879 | HL7216 | 63442 | Jin Air | -8 | BOE385 « BFI
9004 | VT-___ | _____ | Akasa Air -8 200 « RNT
9008 | 9M-MVF | 66371 | Malaysia Airlines | -8 « RNT




• • •

P-8A and E-7A
9142 | 230921 | 66448 | Republic of Korea Navy | P-8A | « NIP
9526 | 230922 | 67012 | Republic of Korea Navy | P-8A | POSIDN1 « NIP
9602 | 230923 | 67013 | Republic of Korea Navy | P-8A « BFI
____ | 230925 | 67014 | Republic of Korea Navy | P-8A « RNT
____ | 230926 | 67015 | Republic of Korea Navy | P-8A « RNT
____ | 230927 | 67016 | Republic of Korea Navy | P-8A « RNT


The RoK Navy P-8As may be re-designated as P-8Ks.

• • • • • 

« Final Assembly / Pre-Flight Prep / First Flight from RNT
« Pre-Delivery Test Flights / Ready For Delivery
« Stored (Location [IATA])
° New / Modified Livery
* Special Livery / Markings
» New airline and registration
» Boeing registration for ferry to HSN


LOCATIONS [IATA]
RNT: Renton Municipal Airport, Renton, WA
BFI: Boeing Field International Airport, Seattle, WA
PAE: Snohomish County Airport (Paine Field), Everett, WA
MWH: Grant County International Airport, Moses Lake, WA
SKF: Kelly Field, San Antonio, TX
VCV: Southern California Logistics Airport, Victorville, CA
NIP: Naval Air Station Jacksonville / Jacksonville Airport, Jacksonville, FL
GED: Delaware Coastal Airport, Georgetown, DE

• • • • •

NOTES
In the event that a delivery flight stops through any Hawai‘i airport other than HNL, their IATA airport code will noted after the flight number. 

Delivery flights that go through ANC, KEF, or any other non-Hawai‘i airport, will only be listed on our Google Sheet.

Due to the airworthiness directive for the 737MAX series, along with delivery deferrals, some airframes may deliver from sites other than BFI, and will be noted in the flight number information. 

If an airframe listed is sold to another airline, it will be noted with a » symbol, along with the new airline and registration. If the airframe delivers through Hawai‘i, the information will be revised with the delivery information. If it's not making a delivery flight through Hawai‘i, that listing will not be changed to the new airline, then removed upon its delivery flight. That information will be kept on our Google Sheet.

Air India Express is acquiring 55 737-8s that were built for Chinese customers, and have been re-marketed by Boeing, as part of Air India's massive order with Boeing. Akasa Air is also purchasing China-bound 737-8s re-marketed by Boeing.

Most 737s delivering to airlines in India will deliver east-bound through KEF [Keflavik International Airport, Keflavik, Iceland] as their first fuel stop. 
Most 737s delivering to airlines in the Republic of Korea normally delivers through ANC [Ted Stevens International Airport, Anchorage, AK] for their first fuel stop.
In the event they deliver through Hawai‘i, they will be listed on a post, and on the deliveries page.

Some of the deliveries bound for China will ferry to the Boeing China 737 Completion and Delivery Center, in Zhoushan, China, will have this
» symbol following the flight number, that probably will be the Boeing test flight number assigned to the particular airframe.

...