8,000,000 Views!

Mahalo to all of our valued contributors, readers, and subscribers, you are all appreciated! This HNL RareBirds™ website has crossed the 8,000,000 post and page views this evening! It's our fastest time to grow 1,000,000 views, which has been done in 42 days!

Stratolaunch's N949SL

Stratolaunch's 747-41R, N949SL "Spirit of Mojave" (c/n 32745, l/n 1287), is making a stop at KOA from MHV as STRAT1. This 747 is a launch vehicle for the Talon-A3 hypersonic test vehicle.

32745's History:

Oct 2001: Delivered to Virgin Atlantic as G-VWOW "Cosmic Girl", under lease from Boeing Capital.

Nov 2015: Acquired by Virgin Galactic as N744VG "Cosmic Girl", as a launch platform.

Jly 2017: Project re-named Virgin Orbit.

Oct 2023: Acquired by Stratolaunch as N744VG "Spirit of Mojave".

Apr 2024: Re-registered as N949SL "Spirit of Mojave".

30 May 2026 - 16:00 UPDATE

N949SL departed for GUM this afternoon.

HDOT-A To Temporary Night Closure For Runway 8R

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation - Airports will be temporarily closing HNL's Runway 8R/26L from 01 June to 08 June for repairs. The closure will start at 16:00, and re-open at 04:00 nightly. Runway 8L and 4R will handle the arrivals, and 8L will handle departures.

Nothing was mentioned should the traffic pattern need to switch to 22/26 operations.

Further details in this HDOT news release.

Virgin Australia Regional's VH-E2D

Virgin Australia Regional is taking delivery of VH-E2D "Lucky Bay" (msn 19020221). This E190-E2 is making its delivery flight from SJK to PER, with stops at BGI, OPF, TUS, KOA, NAN, and BNE as VOZ9943. It's KOA overnight stop is tonight.

VQ-CCO

Leasing company Avolon is having VQ-CCO (msn 12964), a white-tail A320-251N, is ferrying from SAL [El Salvador International Airport, San Salvador, El Salvador] to Asia, with stops at SBD, HNL, and GUM, bound for a new lessee. It's overnight stop at HNL is tonight.

12964's History:

Dec 2025: Delivered to Avianca Colombia as N909AV, leased from Avolon. Did not enter service, and stored at MDE.

Feb 2026: Ferried to BOG for storage.

May 2026: Ferried to SAL for prep to new lessee.

30 May 2026 UPDATE

VQ-CCO departed for GUM this morning.

Virgin Australia's VH-8VE

Virgin Australia is taking delivery of their third 737-8 this month, with VH-8VE "Kingscliff Beach" (c/n 67041, l/n 9646). It left MLB yesterday, following in-flight entertainment system upgrades, and is making its overnight stop at KOA tonight. VH-8VE arrived from ONT this afternoon as VOZ9947.

China Southern Airlines' B-228T

China Southern Airlines is taking delivery of B-228T (c/n 66424, l/n 9653) today. This 737-8 is making its delivery flight from BFI to CAN, with overnight stops at HNL and GUM, as CSN5681.

Upcoming 737MAX Deliveries

With airlines around Asia and Oceania ordering the 737MAX 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.

Our own Google Sheet is documenting the 737 information below, as well as 737MAX series deliveries as of 2017, and is continually updated.

Boeing P-8A Poseidons and E-7A WedgeTails on order for armed forces around the Pacific Rim will be added below when information becomes available.

This post will be continuously updated as we receive new information, and this » symbol notates the updated information per airframe.

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

9567 | VH-8VH | 67038 | Virgin Australia | -8 "Port Noarlunga" [05.07.26 VOZ9947 fr MLB to KOA ]

9634 | 9M-MVQ | 68152 | Malaysia Airlines | -8 [05.15.26 MAS5041]

9591 | 9M-MVP | 68138 | Malaysia Airlines | -8 [05.18.26 MAS5043]

9571 | VH-8VI | 67039 | Virgin Australia | -8 * "Lake Centenary" [05.20.26 VOZ9947 fr MLB to KOA ]

9640 | 9M-MVR | 68153 | Malaysia Airlines | -8 [05.21.26 MAS5045]

9618 | A47-014 | 64752 | Royal Australian Air Force | P-8A [05.22.26 POSIDN1]

9648 | 9M-MBW | 44267 | Singapore Airlines | -8 [05.23.26 SIA8890]

9653 | B-228T | 66424 | China Southern Airlines | -8 [05.29.26 CSN5681]

9646 | VH-8VE | 67041 | Virgin Australia | -8 "Kingscliff Beach" [05.29.26 VOZ9947 fr MLB to KOA ]

FERRIED TO HSN FOR COMPLETION

9595 | B-228N | 44407 | China Southern Airlines | -8 [05.02.26 BOE141 to KOA as N230BE]

9649 | B-228P | 44908 | China Southern Airlines | -8 [05.14.26 BOE142 to KOA as N253BE]

• • • • •

ON ORDER

737MAX Series

9587 | VH-8VD | 67040 | Virgin Australia | -8  "Fairhaven Beach" | BOE27 « MLB »

9632 | B-229N | 647111 | Shandong Airlines | -8 » N238BE « BFI

9672 | HS-VZK | 63914 | VietJet Air Thailand | -8 | BOE363 « BFI »

9679 | B-___ | 66767  | Hainan Airlines | -8 « RNT

9685 | VH-8VF | 67044 | Virgin Australia | -8 | BOE29 « BFI

9695 | B-____ | 67926 | 9Air | -8 « RNT

9702 | B-228X | 66768 | Hainan Airlines | -8 « VCV

9716 | JA031A | 68209 | All Nippon Airways | -8 « RNT

9733 | B-____ | 60193 | China Southern Airlines | -8 « RNT

9747 | JA032A | 68210 | All Nippon Airways | -8 « RNT

9777 | JA033A | 68211 | All Nippon Airways | -8 « RNT

• • •

P-8A and E-7A

• • • • • 

MARKS

« Final Assembly / Pre-Flight Prep / First Flight from RNT (Location [IATA])

« Pre-Delivery Test Flights / Ready For Delivery (Location [IATA])
« Stored (Location [IATA])

« Duplicate Boeing test flight numbers

° New / Modified Livery
* Special Livery / Markings

~ Grey Tail (Only winglets and rudder painted)
» New airline and registration after re-market

« Previous airline and registration prior to re-market
» Boeing registration for ferry to HSN

« Returned to Boeing, NTU

» New / updated information

LOCATIONS [IATA]
RNT: Renton Municipal Airport, Renton, WA
BFI: King County International Airport - Boeing Field, Seattle, WA

PAE: Snohomish County Airport (Paine Field), Everett, WA

MWH: Grant County International Airport, Moses Lake, WA

VCV: Southern California Logistics Airport, Victorville, CA

NIP: Naval Air Station Jacksonville / Jacksonville Airport, Jacksonville, FL (P-8As)

GED: Delaware Coastal Airport, Georgetown, DE (BBJs)

SKF: Kelly Field, San Antonio, TX

• • • • •

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. 

Due to the order backlog for the 737MAX series, some airframes may deliver from sites other than BFI, and will be noted in the flight number information. 

If an airframe listed is sold or re-marketed to another airline, it will be noted with a » symbol, along with the new airline and registration. If an airframe was acquired from a previous airline, it will be noted with a « symbol, along with the old airline and registration. Should 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.

Delivery flights that go through ANC, KEF, or any other non-Hawai‘i airport, will only be listed on our Google Sheet. Most 737s delivering to airlines in India will deliver east-bound through KEF [Keflavik International Airport, Keflavik, Iceland] as their first fuel stop. Some 737s delivering to airlines in east Asia (Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam) deliver through ANC [Ted Stevens International Airport, Anchorage, AK] for their first fuel stop. Their information will be deleted upon their delivery flight. In the event that those 737s delivers through Hawai‘i, they will be listed on a post, and on the annual 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 its own listing above, along with a Boeing test flight number, and a temporary US Boeing registration assigned to the particular airframe. Some may have its full livery painted, and is going to HSN for cabin completion; while others may ferry as a grey tail (only the rudder and winglets painted), that will be fully painted, along with cabin configuration.
...

... 

Royal Canadian Air Force's 330002

330002 (msn 1653), the CC-330 Husky from the Royal Canadian Air Force's 437 Squadron, is making another stop at HIK, from FAI, as CFC3417.

29 MAY 2026 UPDATE

330002 departed for YOW as CFC3417.

QantasLink's VH-X4L

National Jet Systems is taking delivery of VH-X4L "Blue Tonge Lizard" (msn 55447). This QantasLink-liveried A220-300 (BD-500-1A11) is making its delivery flight from YMX to CBR, with stops at YVR, HNL, and MAJ, as QLK6076. It departed YMX yesterday, and is making its HNL overnight stop today.

Pacific Flight Academy's N83PF Ditching

N83PF (msn 412A), a Sling LSA owned by Pacific Flight Academy, ditched two miles from LUP. This LSA was on a flight on a round-trip training flight out of HNL, and was on final approach for LUP's Runway 5. It went down at 11:43HAST, and both occupants extricated themselves, and swam to the Kalaupapa National Park.

Further information in this KITV Island News report.

Sun Country Airlines' N820SY

Sun Country Airlines' N820SY (c/n 39951, l/n 5166, f/n 820) is making a stop at HNL from POB [Fort Liberty, Fayetteville, NC], via ONT, as SCX8907. This 737-8FH was painted in the new Sun Country livery last autumn.

29 May 2026 UPDATE

N820SY has been towed to park on Taxiway F.

Singapore Airlines' 9V-MBW

Singapore Airlines is taking delivery of 9V-MBW (c/n 44267, l/n 9648) today. This 737-8 is making its delivery flight from BFI to SIN, with overnight stops at HNL and GUM, as SIA8890.

Royal Australian Air Force's A47-014

The Royal Australian Air Force is taking delivery of A47-014 (c/n 64752, l/n 9618) today. This P-8A is making its delivery flight from BFI to YPED, with stops at HIK and NAN, as POSIDN1. It will be  assigned to 11 Squadron, 92 Wing.

Malaysia Airlines' 9M-MVR

Malaysia Airlines is taking delivery of their third 737-8 in six days today. 9M-MVR (c/n 68153, l/n 9640) is making its delivery flight from BFI to KUL, with overnight stops at HNL and GUM, as MAS5045.

Virgin Australia's VH-8VI

Virgin Australia is taking delivery of their 150th 737 with VH-8VI "Lake Centenary" (c/n 67039, l/n 9571). This 737-8 is making its delivery flight from MLB (after IFE upgrades) to BNE, with stops at ONT and KOA, as VOZ9947. VH-8VI has been painted in the original red fuselage dating back its days as Virgin Blue, and mixing its current grey colors.

VP-CTT

Phenix Jet Cayman's 737-7ZH BBJ, VP-CTT (c/n 38751, l/n 3796), is making its first HNL stop for 2026. Flying as CPJ88, this BBJ arrived from NRT this morning.

Malaysia Airlines' 9M-MVP

Malaysia Airlines is taking delivery of their second 737-8 in three days with 9M-MVP (c/n 68138, l/n 9591). It's making its delivery flight from BFI to KUL, with stops at HNL and GUM, as MAS5043.

Royal Canadian Air Force's 330002

330002 (msn 1653), a CC-330 Husky from the Royal Canadian Air Force's 437 Squadron is making a stop at HNL from YOW, via MEM and PHX, as CFC3467.

18 May 2026 UPDATE

330002 departed for YOW today as CFC3467.

Air Canada Rouge Takes Over YVR-HNL Service

Beginning this evening, Air Canada Rouge has taken over the nightly 737-8 YVR-HNL service from parent Air Canada, that was ACA519/518. The flight code is now ROU1783, and the return flight is now ROU1784. The 737-8s have small Air Canada Rouge decals by the L1 door, and is not expected to have its own livery. C-FSJH (c/n 61218, l/n 6886, f/n 511) is making this evening's flight

Seasonal Air Canada service to OGG and KOA ended in the last week of April. When service resumes in October, those will flights will be flown as Air Canada Rouge 737-8s.

Malaysia Airlines' 9M-MVQ

Malaysia Airlines is taking delivery of 9M-MVQ (c/n 68152, l/n 9634) today. This 737-8 is making its delivery flight from BFI to KUL, with stops at HNL and GUM, as MAS5041.

China Southern Airlines' N253BE

Boeing is ferrying China Southern Airlines' N253BE (c/n 44908, l/n 9649) from BFI to HSN for cabin completion. This 737-8 is flying as BOE142, and is making overnight stops at KOA and GUM. It will be registered as B-228P upon delivery from HSN.