China Southern Airlines' B-225D

China Southern Airlines is taking delivery of B-225D (c/n 65259, l/n 7828) today. This 737-8 is flying from BFI to CAN, via HNL and GUM, as CSN5073.

All Nippon Airways' JA984A

All Nippon Airways is taking delivery of JA984A (c/n 66998, l/n 1181), and its making its delivery flight from CHS to HND, via LAX and HNL, as ANA9399. This 787-10 departed CHS on the 4th, and will make overnight stops at LAX and HNL.

Amazon Prime Air's N4649K To Enter Service

Hawaiian Airlines' A330-343F, N4649K "Ascend" (msn 1863), departed HNL for SBD this morning as HAL1740. The Amazon Prime Air-liveried Airbus is scheduled to operate the SBD-CVG route from tomorrow.

The Century Mission To Visit KOA

The Century Mission is an around-the-world flight beginning from ICT, with a Learjet 36A, N41GJ (msn 36-055), owned by Global JetCare. It will make a brief fuel stop at KOA, early tomorrow morning from SNS, before continuing onto MAJ.

C-FKCN

Nomadic Aviation is ferrying C-FKCN (c/n 28573, l/n 3041) for AerCap, from YEG to TBS [Tblisi International Airport, Tblisi Georgia], via YVR, JRF, MAJ, and GUM today. This 737-36N, flying as OMD172, will be leased to Tblisi Airways. It will make a brief fuel stop at JRF. The rest of the ferry flight stops are CRK, CCU, and KHI.

28573's History:

Jun 1998: Delivered to British Airways as G-XMAN, under lease from GECAS.

Jun 2003: Leased to Garuda Indonesia as PK-GGX.

Jan 2005: Leased to Shenzhen Airlines as B-2602.

May 2012: Leased to Precision Air as 5H-PKS.

Mar 2014: Leased to Canadian North as C-FKCN (f/n 597).

Nov 2021: Sold to AerCap, and the lease transferred.

Northern Air Cargo's N403YK

Northern Air Cargo's N403YK (c/n 25842, l/n 2228) is making a stop at HNL from TNN, via GUM and MAJ as AAH9403. This 737-436F will be joining the Aloha Air Cargo fleet as the third 737-400F, along with N405YK and N407YK.

N403YK stopped through ITO in January, on its way to TNN from SLC (via OAK, ITO, MAJ, and GUM) for maintenance as NAC9403.

Team Global Express' 2-DGMI

2-DGMI (c/n 29644, l/n 2231), a 737-8BKF owned by BBAM, is en route from YLW [Kelowna International Airport, Kelowna, BC, Canada] to HLZ [Hamilton International Airport, Hamilton, New Zealand], via HNL and NAN. It will be leased to Team Global Express, and operated by Texel Air Australasia. It will be registered as ZK-TXB "Barbara", and will fly under the Team Global Express branding.

29644 History:

Originally ordered by Delta Air Lines, but not taken up.

Apr 2007: Delivered to Sky Airlines as TC-SKH "Rainbow", and re-designated as a 737-8BK, under lease from CIT (above photo).

May 2008: Sold to Babcock, Brown, and May (BBAM), and the lease transferred.

Dec 2012: Withdrawn from service, and stored at QLA.

Jun 2013: Leased to Andoulujet, and operated by Sun Express as TC-SBE.

Dec 2018: Leased to Go2Sky as OM-GTH.

Apr 2019: Subleased to Corendon Airlines for 11 months, also in Jly 2021 (three months), and Mar 2022 (six months).

Nov 2022: Withdrawn from service, and returned to BBAM.

Jan 2023: Ferried to YLW for freighter conversion, and registered as 2-DGMI.

US-Bangla Airlines' S2-AJA

US-Bangla Airlines is returning S2-AJA (c/n 30039, l/n 701) to its lessor, AerCap. This 737-8Q8 is making its ferry flight from KUL to P08 [Coolidge Muni Airport, Coolidge, AZ], via GUM and HNL. It will go into storage at P08, and will eventually be parted out and scrapped.

30039's History:

Nov 2000: Delivered to Polynesian Airways as 5W-SAM, under lease from ILFC.

May 2003: Leased to Miami International Airlines as N734MA "Billie".

Jun 2012: Leased to TACV-Cabo Verde Airlines as D4-CBX.

May 2014: Acquired by AerCap, and the lease transferred.

Oct 2016: Leased to US-Bangla Airlines as S2-AJA.

Feb 2024: Withdrawn from service, and ferried from DAC to KUL for storage.

Qantas Upgauges QFA103/104 To 787-9

Beginning today, Qantas Airways is upguaging its SYD-HNL round-trip service from the A330-300 to the 787-9. VH-ZNN "Snowy River" (c/n 66078, l/n 1051) made today's flight. This upgrade is seasonal for the summer months.

OAK Seeking To Change Formal Name

Aviation Week reports that the Port of Oakland is seeking to rename the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, with the airport's identifiers remaining unchanged. One of the reasons is to attract more traffic to the airport. OAK has service to Hawai‘i by Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Federal Express. 

Amazon Prime Air's N5441K

Hawaiian Airlines is taking delivery of their third A330-343F to operate for Amazon Prime Air. N5441K (msn 1874) is making its delivery flight from SHA to HNL with its registration as its callsign, and will arrive after midnight. It's still wearing its Hong Kong Air livery, and will be repainted on the US mainland.

1874's History:

Jly 2018: Built, but not taken by Hong Kong Arlines as B-LHH, stored at TLS.

Oct 2022: Acquired by Altavair Air Finance as F-WXAD, and stored at LDE.

Sep 2023: Ferried to SHA for storage, then freighter conversion.

Air China's B-224Z

Air China is taking delivery of their third 737-8 this month, with B-224Z (c/n 60932, l/n 7991). It's making its delivery flight from BFI to PEK today, with stops at HNL and GUM, as CCA80.

Coulson Aviation's N140CG

Coulson Aviation's C-130H, N140CG (msn 382-4337, f/n 133), is making its way from NLK to TRM, via XRH, PPG, and JRF, as CUL133. It's returning to its base after the Australian summer deployment, and will overnight at JRF.

382-4337's History:

___1968: Assigned the USAF serial 68-10955. Delivered to the Royal Norwegian Air Force as 955 "Froy" BW-D.

Oct 2008: Retired from the RNAF, and stored at AMARC.

Aug 2023: Sold to Coulson Aviation as N140CG, and converted to a water bomber.

HL8080

HL8080 (msn 5768), an A319-115ACJ owned by SK Telecom, is making a stop at HNL from ICN this afternoon. SK Telecom took delivery of this ACJ in April 2015.

30 Mar 2024 UPDATE

HL8080 departed for NGO today.

N208EX

N208EX (msn 208B5792) is making its delivery flight from IDP to ADL. This Grand Caravan EX owned by Gateway Air Center is flying it from IDP, with stops at ICT, SOW, MCE, HNL, APW, and AKL.

26 Mar 2024 UPDATE

N208EX departed HNL for APW this morning.

Coulson Aviation's N137CG

Coulson Aviation's firefighting 737-3H4, N137CG "Gaia" (c/n 27700, l/n 2759, f/n 137), is making a brief fuel stop at JRF from PPG today. It's returning from its Australian summer deployment at XRH as CUL137. It will continue to its home base at TRM.

Titan Airways' G-XATW

Titan Airways' Four Seasons Jet Experience-liveried A321-253NX, G-XATW (msn 10150), is making a stop at KOA, as it makes an around-the-world charter flight. It's flying from BFI as AWC443Y. The trip began on the 23rd from LTN. G-XATW is seen above departing BFI for KOA.

Ukraine Air Alliance's UR-CGV

Ukraine Air Alliance's An-12BK, UR-CGV (msn 6344610) is making a brief fuel stop at OGG from SBD as UKL5003, and will continue onto MAJ. The flight originated from LRD [Laredo, TX] and ended at BNE.

30 Mar 2024 UPDATE

UR-CGV is making a brief fuel stop at HNL on its way back from BNE, via MAJ (above photo). It will continue onto SBD, then DFW.

Essential Air Service To LNY Up For Bid

On 08 February 2024, the US Department of Transportation issued a for proposals for Essential Air Service (EAS) to LNY. Mokulele Airlines plans to cancel non-subsidied EAS service to LNY, as it has become unprofitable for them to continue serving LNY, due to rising fuel prices and other costs. Lānaʻi is eligible under federal law to receive government-funded EAS for the size of the airport and the community that it serves. Currently, Mokulele is the only commercial airline to fly scheduled passenger service to the "Pineapple Island".

Mokulele/Southern Airways made it known to the US DOT, that it would need federal subsidies to keep the LNY service sustainable, if not profitable.

Local inter-island charter company, Pacific Air Charters is expressing interest in the LNY EAS, with their Tecnam P2012 Travelers.

Lānaʻi Air has a Cessna C408 SkyCourier for shuttle flights to LNY, but has yet to start service. Much of Lānaʻi Air's service is done via private charter with their Pilatus PC-12/47s.

Massachusetts-based commuter airline, Cape Air, that has a service in Guam, expressed interest in the LNY EAS.

Further information in this Civil Beart article, this Hawaii News Now report from 18 March on Cape Air and report on Pacific Air Charters, and Eddie Dowd's Instagram blooper.

Lucky Air's B-224M

Lucky Air is taking delivery of their first 737-8 this year, with B-224M (c/n 64707, l/n 7660). It's making its delivery flight this afternoon from BFI to KMG, via JRF, GUM and HAK as B224M, and as LKE9541 from HAK to KMG. It will overnight at JRF.

This the first 737-8 delivery for the Hainan Air Group (HNA). The group had 11 737-8 new-builds in storage during the grounding and pandemic. Boeing re-marketed six to United Airlines, and two to GOL. Two remain, one for Hainan Airlines and one for Fuzhou Airlines.