HNLRareBirds On Twitter

HNLRareBirds updates can be found on Twitter.com. If you are on twitter, you can follow us on "@hnlrarebirds". We'll be posting photo links, delivery flight information, and other RareBird sightings at HNL.

China Southern's B-5421

China Southern Airlines is taking delivery of their newest 737-81B, B-5421 (c/n 35373). It's flying as CSN501 from BFI, and completed its first leg to HNL today, and continues tomorrow onto MAJ.

Sorry, no HNL photo, but Drewski2112 got it at BFI.

Allegiant Air To Hawai‘i???

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air is exploring the possibility of expanding service to the Hawaiian Islands ... though they would need to get larger aircraft since their MD-80s are not ETOPS capable. That would definitely be a boost to the amount of seats to/from Hawai‘i.

Here's coverage from the Honolulu Advertiser, and coverage from the Las Vegas Sun.

Real Birds vs Metal Birds

It seems that there have been over 900 bird strikes with in Hawai‘i over the past five years. Over the past few years, I have noticed stepped up efforts by Wildlife Control Officers at HNL, riding in their pickup trucks, patrolling the taxiways of HNL. On a few occasions, I have heard shotgun blasts in the Reef Runway area to scare away birds.

We all know the dangers of bird strikes, especially the miracle landing of the US Airways A320 out of LGA.

Today's Honolulu Advertiser is running an article about it.

ACA034 Diverted To HNL

Air Canada flight ACA034 was diverted from SYD to YVR due to severe turbulence, that injured over 20 people. The flight continued onto YVR after a couple of hours on the ground. The aircraft involved was C-FIUJ (c/n 35244), a 777-233LR.

The Honolulu Advertiser coverage.

Air China's B-5423

Today features another 737 daily double!

Leading off today's edition is Air China's B-5423 (c/n 36742), a 737-89L, which arrived from BFI as CCA058. B-5423 will continue onto MAJ tomorrow.

Lion Air's PK-LFW

The second half of the daily double is Lion Air's PK-LFW (c/n 35724), a 737-9GPER(W), which is flying as LNI001. Like the other Lion AIr deliveries, it's expected to make a short tech stop, before continuing across the Pacific toward Indonesia.

After all the previous Lion Air delivery flights, this was the first time I actually got a shot of one of their -900ERs.


*Update 04-24-09*
PK-LFW overnighted here, and left this morning around 1000HST.

Shandong's B-5450

Today featured a 737-800 delivery flight daily double ...

The first of the pair was Shandong Airlines' B-5450 (c/n 36773), a 737-85N. It arrived earlier today from BFI as CDG5450.

Xiamen's B-5433

The second half of today's 737 delivery daily double was Xiamen Airlines' B-5433 (c/n 35642), a 737-86N(W). It arrived several minutes after the Shandong 73H from BFI as CXA5433.

Both 737s will depart tomorrow to continue their island hopping journey across the Pacific to China.

JAL Express JA319J

The 19th 737-800 for JAL arrived in HNL on April 16. JA319J, shown here parked on the North Ramp, has JAL Express titles. It is on the normal routing, BFI-HNL-MAJ-GUM-HND, and left HNL on April 17.

N349UA

A former United Airlines 737-322, N349UA (c/n 24253) is at HNL from GYR via OAK. It's scheduled to depart for MAJ and ROR (PTRO, Airai, Palau) tomorrow.

Sorry, no HNL photo ...

RAAF's N359BJ

The Royal Australian Air Force's "Wedgetail" 737-7ES AEW&C aircraft, N359BJ (c/n 33476), is at HNL again on another test flight from BFI as BOE202. Once it is taken up with the RAAF, it will be re-registered as A30-003. If I remeber correctly, this is the third "Wedgetail" for the RAAF.


*Update 04-10-09*
BOE202 departed this morning for PPG.

VP-BAP

This Ex-PanAm 727-21 (cn 19260/412) arrived Kahului Maui yesterday from Van Nuys. This was the best shot I could get under the circumstances. RareBirds had another spot of this one at HNL back on 10/15/07.

Xiamen's B-5432

Xiamen Airlines' B-5432 (c/n 35641), a 737-86N(W), also arrived this morning on its delivery flight from BFI as CXA5432.

Shenzhen's B-5411

Shenzhen Airlines is taking delivery of its next 737-87L(W), B-5411 (c/n 35532), which is flying as CSZ5411. It arrived this morning from BFI, and will continue westward tomorrow morning.

B-5411 is also sporting a modified livery of the current red and gold design, where the red area has been extended further forward.

Hainan's B-5429 & B-5430 At KOA

Hainan Airlines took delivery of two 737-800s, B-5429 (cn 34032), a 737-86N(W); and B-5430 (cn 36543), a 737-84P(W) today. The delivery flights were routed through KOA, probably because of the two delivery flights shown above, and the north ramp hardstands occupied by a couple of UPS heavies, as well as the jets in the posts below.

B-5429 and B-5430 links to shots at BFI during their test phase.

DL 767-300ER with winglets!

Also here at HNL today is a DL 767-300ER with winglets. N192DN, still has the old wavy-gravy livery with the winglets painted in the darker blue of the new livery. Not sure when it came in or if it will be operating a flight, but it is parked on the North Ramp.

NW 747-400 in DL colors

Today's NW22/21 was operated by N661US which is in DL colors. So far we have had NW A330-300s and 747-400s appear here at HNL repainted in DL colors. Only the 757-300s haven't shown up in DL colors yet.

NWA624

This afternoon's Northwest Airlines Flight 624 to MSP had to abort take-off, for reasons unknown. It was scheduled for a 1706HST departure, but was seen here at 1717HST. The aircraft came to a halt at the intersection of Taxiways RG and RA. After several more minutes, the A330 taxied down RA back to the main terminal. It left an hour-and-a-half later for MSP.

The A330-323X, N809NW (msn 0663), seen above, is already painted in the new Delta Air Lines livery, but was delivered in Northwest colors in 2005. In the link, the photo is dated in late February 2009, so N809NW must have been recently re-painted in the new Delta livery.

Delta's N752AT

While waiting for my return flight to HNL from OGG on my honeymoon, I saw this Delta Air Lines 757-212, N752AT (cn 23128). I had a feeling this was a former ATA bird, and was correct. Upon further research, it was orginally delivered to Singapore Airlines in the mid-80s. It was then picked up by ATA in the mid-90s, then acquired by DL in the late-90s, and even wore the classic "widget" livery.

It was not so much an OGG RareBird, but one of the few shots I got at OGG. The registration tipped me off, since Delta's registrations usually end in N___DL, DN, DA or MH.

N752AT is seen above at OGG's Gate 7, being prepped to return to SLC as DAL1196. I wish the sun was a lot higher, so I could have gotten better lighting.