Malaysia's 9M-MLT

Malaysia Airlines is taking delivery of 9M-MLT (c/n 39334, l/n 4656) today. It's their second 737-8H6 they are receiving this month, and is making its delivery flight as MAS5403 that will overnight at HNL.

Air China's B-5803

Air China is taking delivery of B-5803 (c/n 41093, l/n 4658) today. The 737-79L is making its delivery flight from BFI as CCA78, and will overnight at HNL.

N861MA Update

We went over to the Wailea side of Maui today, and saw the Mokulele Airlines Grand Caravan that landed on Pi‘ilani Highway Monday night. It's being protected by a Maui Police Department officer,  until they figure out how to get it back to the airport.

You can see the touchdown skidmarks on the oncoming lane. The Grand Caravan came to a stop about 50 yards from the intersection in the distance, and just around the corner from the fire station.

Shanghai's B-1901

Shanghai Airlines is taking delivery of B-1901 (c/n 38060, l/n 4653) this morning. The 737-86D is making its delivery flight from BFI as CSH207, and will overnight at HNL. It's seen above, pulling into its parking spot.

It appears that the People's Republic of China has begun assigning the B-19xx registrations to 737NGs, since the B-59xx block is being given to A320 series airliners. There are still B-58xx registrations available, and assigned to 737NGs as well.

Shenzhen's B-5778

Shenzhen Airlines is taking delivery of B-5778 (c/n 39137, l/n 4647) this morning. The 737-87L is making its delivery flight from BFI as CSZ901, and will overnight at HNL. It's seen above, shortly after arriving from BFI.

Hawaiian Renews HND-KOA Application

Hawaiian Airlines will refile their application Thursday, with the US Department of Transportation for a second slot at HND, for A330-243 service to/from KOA. They are bidding for the slot that American Airlines is returning the US DoT.

Further details in this Hawaiian Airlines press release.

Mokulele Airlines Highway Emergency Landing

Local news is reporting that a Mokulele Airlines Grand Caravan made an emergency landing on Maui's Pi‘ilani Highway, near Wailea and Kihei last night. The aircraft N861MA (msn 208B0825) a C208B Grand Caravan had reportedly taken off from Kahului Airport (PHOG/OGG) enroute to Kamuela on the Big Island (PHMU/MUE) as flight MW1770, when it experienced engine problems and forced the plane to land on the highway.

There were 8 passengers and 2 crew members on the flight. Thankfully, no one was injured. The NTSB was on scene to investigate the incident.

Links to local news sources (with pictures and video):

Maui News

Hawaii News Now

Honolulu Star-Advertiser

KHON

Qantas' VH-TJY

Qantas Airways is sending VH-TJZ "Port Pirie" (c/n 28152, l/n 2829), a 737-476, to VCV for storage. It's flying from MEL to VCV (via SYD, APW, and HNL) as QFA6027.

 

VH-TJZ was delivered to Qantas November of 1996. The last time this aircraft was in Honolulu was during its delivery flight from Boeing on November 10, 1996 as QFA6904 taking the airplane from BFI to MEL via HNL, APW and NAN.

Photo to follow...

Hainan's B-5852

Hainan Airlines is taking delivery of B-5852 (c/n 39204, l/n 4651) today. The 737-84P is making its delivery flight from BFI as B5852, and will overnight at HNL.

Thai Lion's HS-LTI

The Lion Air Group is opening a low-cost subsidiary in Thailand, called Thai Lion Air. The new airline is taking delivery of their first 737-9GPER today, as HS-LTI (c/n 38738, l/n 4643) makes its delivery flight from BFI as LNI1. It made its brief fuel stop before heading out to MAJ. As you can se in the above photo, Lion Air added "Thai" in grey, and country's flag to the livery.  HS-LTI is the first of six 737-9GPERs for the new carrier.

Further details about Thai Lion Air in this CAPA - Centre For Aviation article.

Hawaiian To Add LAX Service To KOA And LIH

Hawaiian Airlines announced today that they will expand their summer LAX service to/from KOA [Kona, Hawai'i Island] and LIH [Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi], with service commencing in June 2014, and will run for three months. Hawaiian will use their 767-300ERs for the three-times per week flights between KOA and LAX, and four-times per week flights between LIH and LAX.

Further information in this Hawaiian Airlines press release.

Air China's B-5849

Air China is taking delivery of B-5849 (c/n 41309, l/n 4649) this morning. The 737-89L is making its delivery flight from BFI as CCA78, and will overnight at HNL.

All Nippon Air JA627A

Today, one of All Nippon Air's winglet equipped 767-381ERs arrived as NH1052 from Narita. JA627A (c/n 40898, l/n 1023) returned to Narita as NH1051. To my knowledge, this is the second time that All Nippon has sent a "New build" 767-381ER to Honolulu. 

Runway 8R/26L Closure

Beginning today, HNL's Runway 8R/26L, the "Reef Runway", will be closed for the next two weeks as the section between Taxiways RG and RM will be re-paved.  The end sections from Taxiway RA to RG, and RB to RM, are already completed, with limited take-off capability.  However, the closure will revet HNL to the "old days" prior to the "Reef Runway", with commercial and military traffic departing from Runway 8L/26R.

China Southern's B-5836

China Southern Airlines is taking delivery of B-5836 (c/n 38955, l/n 4642) this morning. The 737-81B is making its delivery flight from BFI as CSN18, and will overnight at HNL.

Xiamen's B-5845

Xiamen Air is taking delivery of B-5845 (c/n 39931, l/n 4645) this morning. The 737-85C is making its delivery flight from BFI as CXA5845, and will overnight at HNL.

Okay Air's B-5842

Okay Airways is taking delivery of B-5842 (c/n 41262, l/n 4624) today. The GECAS-leased 737-86N is making its delivery flight from BFI as OKA5842, and will overnight at HNL.

Sorry, we were unable to get a photo of B-5842 at HNL.

Malaysia's 9M-MSI

Malaysia Airlines is taking delivery of 9M-MSI (c/n 40151, l/n 4640) today. The 737-8H6 is making its delivery flight from BFI as MAS5473, and will overnight at HNL.

Jetstar Airways 787-8 Dreamliner VH-VKA

Jetstar Airways is taking delivery of their first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft VH-VKA (c/n 36227, l/n 123) today. The 787-8 is making its delivery flight from Paine Field Snohomish County Airport (KPAE/PAE) to Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (YMML/MEL) via HNL as JST7878.

The flight is scheduled to arrive into HNL at 1340L on 07OCT, and depart for MEL the next morning. This flight will also mark the first time the 787 has touchdown in HNL. Boeing normally does do warm weather testing of the 787 in KOA, but has never brought the aircraft into HNL.

ZK-SJC

A former Air New Zealand 737-3U3, ZK-SJC (c/n 28738, l/n 2988), is making its ferry flight from CHC to OPF (via APW, HNL, and VNY) as SXI1344. It's bound for a maintenance check and new paint  in Florida, then off to its new home in Bolivia (airline unknown).

28738 was originally delivered to Frontier Airlines in November 1998 as N308FL, with the elk tail motif. In September 2001,  it was acquired by Air New Zealand, and leased to low-cost subsidiary Freedom Air International [SJ/FOM] as ZK-SJC. In June 2005, ZK-SJC was returned to Air New Zealand, as Freedom Air transitioned to the A320, and served with ANZ until this past June.