Kona Low Storm Impacts Flights And Operations

The "Kona Low" storm that is bringing heavy rain, high southerly winds, and thunderstorms, is impacting airlines and airport operations. Both Kamaka Air and Lāna‘i Air suspended operations today. Air traffic was put on ground holds and holding patterns for periods as storm cells sat over the state's airports. Some flights are delayed, and others face cancellation. Departing and arriving traffic patterns are also in flux, as the winds are causing the FAA to reverse, and revert, the traffic patterns.

BBN Airlines Indonesia's PK-BBK

BBN Airlines Indonesia is ferrying PK-BBK (c/n 35717, l/n 2455) from CGK to MZJ, with stops at GUM and HNL. This 737-9GPER is flying as BBL8005, and is being returned to its lessor, Alterna Capital Partners.

Pk-BBK stopped through HNL in September 2024, as 2-IBAZ, as it was being ferried to Indonesia.

Kīlauea Eruption Closes ITO

Due to eruption episode 43 at the Kīlauea Volcano, and southwesterly winds, the FAA and HDOT-A is suspending operations at ITO. The US Geological Service said that with this eruption episode, combined with winds blowing ash fall toward the eastern side of Hawai‘i, it will affect air traffic, as ash will damage jet engines.

11 March 2026 UPDATE

Eruption episode 43 ended in the evening hours yesterday, and ITO was opened early this morning.

VH-TQE

VH-TQE (msn 596), a Dash8-315 Q300 owned by the Avmax Group, is being ferried from ASP to YYC, with stops at CNS, MAJ, and JRF. This white-tail Q300 departed ASP on 02 March, and its stop at JRF is tonight.

VH-TQE's History:

Jly 2003: Delivered to Eastern Australia Airlines, to operate for QantasLink.

__ 2017: Painted in the current QantasLink livery, and named "Launceston".

Dec 2024: Withdrawn from service, and stored at TMW.

Dec 2025: Ferried to ASP for storage, and purchased by the Avmax Group.

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

9495 | VH-8VG | 67037 | Virgin Australia | -8 "Peregian Beach" [03.01.26 VOZ9947 fr MLB to KOA ]

FERRIED TO HSN FOR COMPLETION

• • • • •

ON ORDER

737MAX Series

9503 | B-228K | 44406 | China Southern Airlines | -8 | BOE140 « BFI

9511 | 9M-MVO | 43358 | Malaysia Airlines | -8 | BOE715 « BFI

9527 | B-228E | 61298 | Hainan Airlines | -8 | BOE181 « BFI

9531 | 9V-MBV | 44260 | Singapore Airlines | -8 | BOE223 « BFI

9539 | JA738A | 65542 | Skymark Airlines | -8 º | BOE61 « BFI

9547 | B-____ | 66419 | China Southern Airlines | -8 « RNT

9567 | VH-8VH | 67038 | Virgin Australia | -8 « RNT »

9571 | VH-8VI | 67039 | Virgin Australia | -8 « RNT »

• • •

P-8A and E-7A

____ | A47-014 | 64752 | Royal Australian Air Force | P-8A « BFI

• • • • • 

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.
...

... 

OGG's Runway 2/20 Reconstruction

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation - Airports (HDOT-A) held a meeting on 02 March regarding the reconstruction project for Runway 2/20, which was originally built in 1942 during World War II. There are four proposals (one temporary, and three permanent) for a parallel runway to be built before Runway 2/20's reconstruction can begin (along with other governmental regulatory requirements). 

The three permanent runway proposals would place the second runway east of the current ramp area where there are the tour helicopter operations, FBOs, and the FAA control tower. Under the permanent proposals, Runway 5/23 (the general aviation/commuter runway) would be permanently closed.

Further information and HDOT-A illustrations in this Maui News article.

Virgin Australia's VH-8VG

Virgin Australia is taking delivery of VH-8VG "Peregian Beach" (c/n 67037, l/n 9495) today. THis 737-8 is making its delivery flight from MLB (after in-flight entertainment modifications) to BNE, with stops at ONT and KOA, as VOZ9947. Their overnight stop at KOA is tonight.

Coulson Aviation's N130CG

Coulson Aviation's N130CG (msn 382-4339) is making its way back to YXX from its Australian fire season base at BQB. This C-130H is making stops at QPE, OOL, APW, KOA, SMX, and YYJ, flying as CUL140. It's making its KOA overnight stopover today.

05 March 2026 UPDATE

N130CG departed KOA for SMX this morning.

Hainan Airlines' B-228G

Hainan Airlines is taking delivery of B-228G (c/n 64330, l/n 9482) today. This 737-8 is making its delivery flight from BFI to HAK, with overnight stops at HNL and GUM, and flying as CHH2288.

N355FL

N355FL (msn 2553), an A321-231F owned by an undisclosed Bank of Utah trustee, is being ferried from XMN to MZJ, with stops at GUM and JRF. This white-tail A321's stop at JRF is this evening.

2553's History:
Sep 2005: Delivered to TACA International Airlines as N566TA, under lease from RBS.

Jun 2012: Sold to SMBC, and the lease was transferred.

May 2013: Airline rebranded as Avianca El Salvador.

Mar 2014: Leased to Monarch Airlines as G-ZBAI.

Nov 2016: Sold to Castlelake, and the lease was transferred.

Mar 2018: Leased to Aegean Airlines as SX-DNF.

May 2023: Returned to Castlelake as LY-BLW, and stored at TEV.

Sep 2023: Acquired by Flight Lease.

Mar 2024: Ferried to XMN for freighter conversion, registered as N355FL.

Nov 2024: Acquired by a Bank of Utah trustee.

Alaska Airlines Ferries N783HA For Re-painting

Alaska Airlines is ferrying N783HA "Me‘e" (c/n 66431, l/n 1236, f/n 783) from SEA to FTW to be painted in the global livery. 783 is the last of the four Hawaiian Airlines-liveried 787-9 DreamLiners to get the new livery.

Shandong Airlines' N234BE

Boeing is ferrying Shandong Airlines' N234BE (c/n 64322, l/n 9470) from BFI to HSN, with overnight stops at KOA and GUM. This 737-8 is flying as BOE789, was painted in the Shandong livery at VCV with a Hainan Airlines rudder. It will be repainted, and will have its cabin completed at HSN, and will be re-registered as B-228D upon delivery from HSN.

This is the first 737-8 for 2026 to be ferried to HSN for completion. B-228D was to have been leased to Hainan Airlines from MSFL, but was not taken up.

Federal Express' N867FD

Following the passing of Federal Express founder Frederick W Smith, the airline is paying tribute with an FWS logo on the underside of N867FD "Jaxson" (c/n 40673, l/n 1697, f/n 867). The logo was applied to this 777-F in mid-October 2025. It first appeared at HNL on 30 January 2026 from MEM as FDX1413, and onto OAK as FDX1800 later that day. We got a photo of N867FD this morning while on final approach for Runway 8L as FDX1413 from MEM. It will depart for OAK as FDX 1800 this afternoon.

N899FD "Archer" (c/n 66266, l/n 1784, f/n 899) was the first 777-F to receive the FWS tribute logo in August 2025, and ran to October 2025.

VH-VNJ

VH-VNJ (msn 2982), an A320-232, owned by Aircastle, ferrying from PER to P08, with stops at OOL, APW, and KOA. Its overnight stop is at KOA tonight. This white-tail A320 is being returned to Aircastle, and is scheduled to be parted out and scrapped.

2982's History:

Dec 2006: Delivered to Tiger Airways as 9V-TAI, under lease from RBS.

Sep 2009: Transferred to Tiger Airways Australia as VH-VNJ.

Jun 2011: Sold to Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance, and the lease was transferred.

Jly 2013: Airline rebrands as Tigerair Australia.

Nov 2014: Sold to Jackson Square Aviation, and the lease was transferred.

Dec 2016: Sold to Aircastle, and the lease was transferred.

Apr 2018: Airline rebrands as Virgin Australia Regional, and aircraft is named "Cossies Beach".

Dec 2025: Withdrawn from service, and stored at PER.

VH-TQL

The Avmax Group is ferrying VH-TQL (msn 603) from ASP to YYC, with stops at CNS, MAJ, JRF, and PDX. This white-tail Dash8-315 Q300 departed ASP on 18 February, and is making its stop at JRF tonight.

VH-TQL's History:

Jly 2004: Delivered to Eastern Australia Airlines, to operate for QantasLink.

Nov 2015: Transferred to operate for Jetstar Airways.

Aug 2021: Returned to operate for QantasLink, and named "Kyneton".

Nov 2025: Withdrawn from service, and stored at ASP.

Dec 2025: Acquired by the Avmax Group.

Sounds Air ZK-PLS

Sounds Air is ferrying ZK-PLS (msn 363) from BHE to Canada. This PC-12/45 is making stops at AMZ, AKL, APW, CXI, JRF, and ___. Its overnight stop at JRF is tonight.

Vietnam Airlines Finalizes 737-8 Order

Boeing announced today that Vietnam Airlines has finalized their order for 50 737-8s, as the airline continues to modernize its fleet, and plans for route expansion across Southeast Asia. No timetable was given as to when Vietnam Airlines will begin to take delivery.

Further information in this Boeing news release.

Mokulele Airlines And Japan Airlines Interline Agreement

Mokulele Airlines announced on an Instagram post today, that they will enter into an interline agreement with Japan Airlines, that will allow passenger feeds to/from MKK, JHM, and LNY.