Shandong Airlines's B-7668

Shandong Airlines is taking delivery of B-7668 (c/n 60159, l/n 6233) today. The 737-85C is making its delivery flight from BFI as CDG7668, and will overnight at HNL.

Japan Transocean Air's JA03RK

Japan Transocean Air's newest 737-8Q3 arrived this afternoon from Seattle as JTA9851. JA03RK (c/n 61477 l/n 6231) is the company's 3rd 737NG.

Okay Airways B-1581

Okay Airways is taking delivery of B-1581 (c/n 61776, l/n 6225) today. The 737-9KFER is making its delivery flight from BFI as OKA1581, and will overnight at HNL.

9 Air's B-1556

9 Air is taking delivery of their second 737-86X in as many days. B-1556 (c/n 61356, l/n 6186) is making its delivery flight from BFI as JYH1556, and will overnight at HNL.

Lucky Air's B-7993

The second Lucky Air 737-8AL delivery flight today, is B-7993 (c/n 61775, l/n 6218). It's flying as B7993, and will overnight at HNL.

Lucky Air's B-7992

Lucky Air is taking delivery of a pair of 737-8ALs today. The first to depart BFI was B-7992 (c/n 61773, l/n 6200), that is flying as B7992, and will overnight at HNL.

China Southern Airlines' B-2054

China Southern Airlines is ferrying B-2054 (c/n 27360, l/n 48) from CAN to VCV, via HNL. According to Skyliners.de, this 777-21B, is scheduled to be parted out then scrapped.

B-2054 was delivered to China Southern in December 1996. It was leased to Biman Bangladesh Airlines for two months (Feb - Apr 2000), and Garuda Indonesia for two months (Oct - Dec 2009).

9 Air's B-1553

9 Air is taking delivery of B-1553 (c/n 61355, l/n 6081) today. The 737-86X is making its delivery flight from BFI as JYH1553, and will overnight at HNL. B-1553, though built in July 2016, had its delivery delayed for technical reasons.

Xiamen Air's B-1580

Xiamen Air is taking delivery of B-1580 (c/n 42937, l/n 6235) today. The 737-85C, their second in five days, is making its delivery flight from BFI as CXA8299, and will overnight at HNL.

Island Air's N682WP

Island Air's second Q400 Next Gen, N682WP "Na‘au Pono" (msn 4546), is making its last delivery flight segment from CMA today, and will arrive this afternoon. Flying as SXA358, it also made stops at DLH and APA, after leaving the Bombardier factory at YZD.

Spring Airlines Japan's JA04GR

Spring Airlines Japan [SJO] is taking delivery of JA04GR (c/n 61776, l/n 6223) this afternoon. The 737-8AL, leased from BOC, is making its delivery flight from BFI as JA04GR, and will overnight at HNL.

Xiamen Airʻs B-1579

Xiamen Air is taking delivery of B-1579 (c/n 42936, l/n 6224) today. The 737-85C, the first 737 delivery of 2017 to stop through a Hawaiian airport, is making its delivery flight from BFI as CXA8099, and will overnight at HNL.

Delta To Launch SEA-LIH Service

Delta Air Lines announced today that they will begin daily 757-200 service between SEA and LIH on December 21, 2017. This is one of several new routes the airline will be starting from its SEA hub.

Further details in this Delta Air Lines news release.

Hawaiian To Launch LIH-KOA Service

Hawaiian Airlines announced that they will launch service between LIH and KOA on March 12th. This would be the longest inter-island flight in Hawaiian's route system. There will be one flight in each direction between Līhuʻe and Kona.

Further information in this Hawaiian Airlines press release.

Island Air's N681WP Blessing

This morning, Island Air held a Hawaiian blessing ceremony for N681WP "Ola Kūpono" at their hangar. The new Q400 Next Gen is scheduled to enter service tomorrow, on the OGG route. There were speeches by Island Air CEO David Uchiyama, VP Jeffrey Lau, and Bombardier's Gary Dixon; along with a prayer and blessing by Kahu Kelekona Bishaw. The event culminated with a media preview flight that flew from HNL, over the island of Lānaʻi, and back.

Virgin Australia's VH-ZPA

Virgin Australia is ferrying VH-ZPA (msn 19000148) from BNE to BNA (via APW, HNL, and VNY) for its maintenance check. The E190 is making the flight at VOZ9901.

N108MS

N108MS (c/n 33102, l/n 1111), one of Las Vegas Sands Corporation's 737-7BC BBJs, is also in town, along with its fleet mate VP-BMS.

VP-BMS

VP-BMS (msn 560), the Las Vegas Sands Corporation A340-541, has made a stop at HNL after a 17.5-hour flight from TLV [Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, Israel].

560 was originally delivered to Singapore Airlines in April 2004 as 9V-SGD, and withdrawn from use in November 2013. It was sold back to Airbus, and stored in LDE in March 2014. The Sands Corporation purchased this A340-541 in July 2014, and converted the interior to a VIP configuration.

EVA Air's B-16308

Our January edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" features EVA Air's B-16308 (msn 655), seen above as it departed from Runway 8R to TPE, in June 2005. EVA had service A330-203 between HNL and TPE in the early-to-mid 2000s, that was preceded by 767-300ER service.

B-16308 was delivered to EVA in March 2005, under lease from GECAS. In June 2010, it was sold to AerCap, and remains in service with EVA.

Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou! 🎆🎇🎉

The HNLRareBirds team wishes our readers a blessed and prosperous 2017! 

Happy New Year! 🎆🎇🎉