Aloha Airlines' N823AL

This quarter's edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" Aloha Airlines' tribute, features 737-230/Adv, N823AL "Liholiho" (c/n 23154, l/n 1078, f/n 823), seen above, on a short final for Runway 26R in 2005.

N823AL was painted several months later in the retro "Funbird" livery to celebrate Aloha Airlines' 60th anniversary in 2006, and the name "Liholiho" was retained.

23154's History:

Jan 1985: Delivered to Lufthansa as D-ABMB "Ingolstadt".

___ 1993: Painted in the Lufthansa current livery.

Dec 1996: Acquired by Aloha Airlines as N823AL "Liholiho".

Jun 2006: Painted in the "Funbird" retro livery (above photo).

Mar 2008: Aloha ceased operations.

Jun 2008: Ferried to MHV for storage.

Apr 2017: Scrapped at MHV by Moto Art, fuselage skin were upcycled into PlaneTags, and other parts were upcycled as Moto Art products.

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.

We have our own Google Sheet that is documenting the 737 information below, as well as 737MAX series deliveries as of 2017, and is continuously 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 newest information per airframe.

According to the PlaneSpotters.net's 737 MAX Production List, RZ Jets 737MAX Production List, and the AirFleets 737NG/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, the Boeing Test Flight Google Sheet, and The Boeing Test Flights website.

DELIVERED

9703 | 9V-MBY | 44268 | Singapore Airlines | -8 [06.30.26 SIA8890]

FERRIED TO HSN FOR COMPLETION

• • • • •

ON ORDER

737MAX Series

9677 | B-229A | 64023 | China Eastern Airlines | -8 « RNT

9695 | B-____ | 67926 | 9Air | -8 | BOE725 » N782BA « BFI

9708 | VH-8IL | 67042 | Virgin Australia | -8 | BOE30 « MLB »

9712 | 9M-MVS | 68154 | Malaysia Airlines | -8 | BOE719 « BFI

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

9718 | HS-VZL | 63909 | VietJet Thailand | -8 « VCV

9720 | B-____ | 64024 | Shanghai Airlines | -8 | BOE452  » N233BE « BFI

9728 | JA738B | 65544 | Skymark Airlines | -8 « BFI

9732 | 9V-MBZ | 44269 | Singapore Airlines | -8 « RNT

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

9736 | B-228Z | 66772 | Hainan Airlines | -8 « RNT

9738 | VH-8IM | 67045 | Virgin Australia | -8 « RNT

9741 | B-____ | 66426 | China Southern Airlines | -8 « RNT

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

9751 | B-____ | 60199 | China Southern Airlines | -8 « RNT

9757 | VH-8IO | 67046 | Virgin Australia | -8 « RNT

9768 | VH-8IP | 67047 | Virgin Australia | -8 « RNT

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

9794 | VH-8__ | 67043 | Virgin Australia | -8 « RNT

9811 | VH-8VK | 67048 | Virgin Australia | -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 here 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, at Putuoshan Airport, Zhoushan, China [HSN], 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.
...

SIngapore Airlines' 9V-MBY

Singapore Airlines is taking delivery of 9V-MBY (c/n 44268, l/n 9703) today. This 737-8 is making its delivery flight from BFI to SIN, with overnight stops at HNL and GUM, as SIA8890.

Hawaiian Airlines Unveils oneWorld Logo Jet

In a ceremony at their hangar, Hawaiian Airlines unveiled its entrance to the oneWorld alliance. N375HA "Humu" (msn 1606) was ferried to SIN for repainting earlier this month, and will wear the oneWorld wordmark on the forward fuselage, along with "Aloha a puni ka honua" ("Aloha all around the world"). N375HA is expected back in a couple of weeks.

Further information in this Hawaiian Airlines news release.

Western Global Airlines' N781SN

Western Global Airlines' N781SN (c/n 48781, l/n 625) is making the first MD-11F flight into HNL since the FAA grounding following the crash of UPS2976, in November 2025. N781SN is making a fuel stop at HNL from LCK [Rickenbacker International Airport, Columbus, OH], then continuing onto DRW as WGN8189. N781SN was the first Western Global MD-11F to re-enter service following inspections and repairs to the wing pylons.

02 July 2026 UPDATE

N781SN is returning from DRW as WGN189 today.

Aloha ‘Oe Asiana Airlines

Today marks the final day of operations for Asiana Airlines service between ICN and HNL. HL7732 (c/n 29174, l/n 481), the Star Alliance-liveried 777-28EER, is making today's final service as AAR232/231.  From 01 July, Korean Air will take over Asiana's five-times-per-week service as KAL8054/8053, with 787-9 DreamLiners flying the service.

This move is anticipation of the Asiana brand being retired as part of the acquisition by Korean Air, which total integration is scheduled to be completed this December.

01 July 2026 UPDATE

Korean Air's 787-9 DreamLiner HL7207 (c/n 34816, l/n 728) is making the first replacement flight as KAL8053/8054.

Royal Air Maroc's CN-RHB

Royal Air Maroc's 787-9 DreamLiner, CN-RHB (c/n 64981, l/n 1116), is making a stop at HNL from LAX tonight, as RAM3120. This 787 is wearing their new livery and decals for the Moroccan Football Federation, and the flight originated from RBA [Sale Airport, Rabat, Morocco].

64981's History:
___ 2021: Not taken up by WestJet Airlines as C-FLWH.

Dec 2024: Acquired by Royal Air Maroc as CN-RHB.

Jan 2026: Moroccan Football Federation decals applied.

28 June 2026 UPDATE

CN-RHB departed for CMN  early this morning as RAM3843.

Hainan Airlines' B-228Y

Hainan Airlines is taking delivery of B-228Y (c/n 66769, l/n 9706) today. This 737-8 is making its delivery flight from BFI to HAK, with overnight stops at HNL and GUM, as CHH2281. This is the airlines' third 737-8 delivery this month.

USS Theodore Roosevelt Ship Visit

We were invited to the first series of ship visits that included the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), here is our YouTube video.

RIMPAC 2026

The 2026 edition of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) international military maritime exercise begins today. This is the 30th iteration of RIMPAC, runs through 31 July 2026, will have participants from 31 countries. The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) is the US Navy aircraft carrier assigned to the exercise.

Luftwaffe's 54+26

A Luftwaffe A400M Atlas, 54+26 (msn 086), from Luftransportgeschwader 62, is making a stop at KOA from ETNW [Wunstorf Air Base, Lower-Saxony, Germany], as GAF101.

Northrop Grumman's N140SC

Northrop Grumman's L-1011 TriStar 100, N140SC "Stargazer" (msn 193E-1067) is making a stop at KOA from MHV this afternoon. It's bound for KWA to launch a Pegasus rocket that is mounted under the belly.

Stargazer has been at HNL twice before en route to KWA in the past.

24 June 2026 UPDATE

N140SC departed for KWA this morning.

9,000,000 Views!

Wow! The HNL RareBirds™ has broken the 9,000,000 views mark early this morning. Mahalo to all of our contributors, subscribers, and readers! You are very much appreciated! We gained a 1,000,000 views in 23 days!

Aloha Air Cargo's N442KH

Aloha Air Cargo is taking delivery of N442KH (c/n 28888, l/n 2990) today. This 737-490F is making its delivery flight from MZJ to HNL, with a fuel stop at OAK, as AAH9442. It's being leased from Automatic LLC.

28888'S History:

Feb 1998: Delivered to Alaska Airlines as N793AS (f/n 793).

Dec 2017: Acquired by Flair Airlines as C-FLRS (f/n 406).

Aug 2020: Acquired Automatic LLC, registered as N288AU, and ferried to SJO for freighter conversion.

Dec 2020: Leased to Poste Air Cargo as EI-GUA.

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

Jun 2025: Returned to lessor, and ferried to MZJ for storage.

Jly 2025: Re-registered as N888AU.

Beta Technology's N401NZ

Beta Technology's CX300 Alia demonstrator, N401NZ (msn BTC31C-004), is in Hawai‘i. This electric-powered aircraft arrived at ITO yesterday, and flew to KOA. N401NZ flew to OGG then HNL today. It has Mokulele AIrlines titles on the port side, and Surfair titles on the starboard side. It will spend a couple of months with Mokulele performing inter-island test flights.

Photos of N401NZ at OGG in this post by Instagram user ogg_kahului_maui.

N401NZ has also spent time in New Zealand, as a demonstrator for Air New Zealand (October 2025 - March 2026); and in Japan for Yamato Transport, and other companies (April-May 2026).

Alaska Airlines' N985AK

Alaska Airlines' 2026 FIFA World Cup-liveried 737-9, N985AK (c/n 67423, l/n 8695, f/n 985), is making its first appearance in Hawai‘i today. It's flying from PDX to OGG as ASA739, then return to PDX as ASA1490. Alaska Airlines had the decals applied earlier this month as Seattle is one of the host cities at Lumen Field (renamed Seattle Stadium for the 2026 World Cup).

Hainan Airlines' B-228X

Hainan Airlines is taking delivery of B-228X (c/n 66768, l/n 9702) today. This 737-8 is making its delivery flight from BFI to HAK, with overnight stops at JRF and GUM, as CHH2285. This is Hainan's second delivery in six days.

Aloha Air Cargo's N303KH Being Parted Out

Aloha Air Cargo's N303KH "Kukunaokalā" (c/n 25606, l/n 3123, f/n 303) is in the process of being parted out, and will eventually be scrapped. In this photo on Planespotters.net taken this past March, this 737-319F is seen on stacked pallets.

All Nippon Airways' JA938A

All Nippon Airways is taking delivery of JA938A (c/n 66896, l/n 1293) today. This 787-9 DreamLiner is making its delivery flight from PAE to HND, with an overnight stop at HNL, as ANA9399. 

JA938A was built at CHS, and first flew on 16 April 2026. After testing, it was ferried to PAE as BOE736 on 29 May 2026.

United Airlines' N91007

United Airlines' 787-10, N91007 (c/n 40929, l/n 548, f/n 1007) that was painted in their America 250 special livery a couple of weeks ago, is making a stop at HNL today as UAL219 from ORD. It will return to ORD as UAL218, later this afternoon.

40929's History:

May 2017: Used by Boeing as a 787-10 testbed, registered as N548ZC.

May 2019: Delivered to United Airlines as N91007.

Jun 2026: Painted in the America 250 special livery.

New Boeing 737 Assembly Plant

In order to keep up with its order book backlog, Boeing began re-tooling its 747 assembly line at its Everett, WA facility. The manufacturer has now announced that 06 July 2026 will be date for the Everett "North Line" to open. It will focus on the 737-10, which is due to be certified by the end of this year. 

Further information in this Boeing Media news report.

Hainan Airlines' B-228W

Hainan Airlines is taking delivery of B-228W (c/n 66767, l/n 9679) today. This 737-8 is making its delivery flight from BFI to HAK, with overnight stops at HNL and GUM, as CHH2282.

Hawaiian Airlines' N227HA "Moana" Special Livery

Hawaiian Airlines is having decals to promote Disney's live-action version of "Moana" applied to an A321-271N, N227HA "Olopua" (msn 9223, f/n 227). It's making its debut flight today to PDX as ASA840.

Further information in this Hawaiian Airlines news release.

"ReverseOps" has photos of "Olopua" departing for PDX on his Instagram post.

Leading Edge Air Services' RP-C6950

Leading Edger Air Services Corporation is taking delivery of their first Cessna C408 SkyCourier, RP-C6950 (msn 408-00__). It's making its delivery flight, flown by Flight Contract Services, from BEC to CRK, with stops at LVS, VGT, SMX, HNL, KWA, and GUM. It had its ferry tank installed at VGT (from May 29th), and is making its SMX-HNL segment today.

Photos of their acceptance of the C408 on Leading Edge's Facebook page.

08 June 2026 UPDATE

RP-C6950 departed for KWA shortly before midnight.

HNL's Runway 8R/26L Nightly Closure Extended

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation - Airports announced that the nightly closure of Runway 8R/26L will be extended to 14 June.

Further details in this HDOT-A news release.