Delta To Phase Out 747-400s

Delta Air Lines announced today, that they will begin retiring their 16 747-451s that were integrated into the fleet when Delta merged with Northwest Airlines. Four 747-451s will be retired by the end of this year. It is not known when, or how fast, the remaining 12 will be retired. Of the 16 747s, six are leased.

Delta presently has one NRT-HNL 747-451 flight, DAL578/579, and appears not to be affected by this move so far, as the airline will downguage other 747-451 flights from Japan to the US mainland.

Further details in this FrequentBusinessTraveler.com article.

WestJet Adding 767-300ERs

WestJet Airlines announced today that they are adding four 767-300ERs to help with longer flights, like the flights from Calgary and Edmonton to Honolulu and Kahului. This new service is slated to begin in the 2015 winter travel season.

This will be the last winter season the Canadian carrier will wet-lease 757-200s from Thomas Cook Airlines, as they did for the past three winters. In the winter of 2010, WestJet wet-leased a 757-200 from North American Airlines.

Further details in this WestJet Airlines company blog.

Shenzhen's B-1993

Shenzhen Airlines is taking delivery of B-1993 (c/n 37623, l/n 5010) this morning. The 737-87L is making its delivery flight from BFI as CSZ909, and will overnight at HNL.

This the 18th 737NG delivery through HNL this month, exceeding the average 14 deliveries.

Malaysia Airlines Considers Name Change

The government-backed holding company that owns Malaysia Airlines is considering changing the airline's name and brand, among other changes, since the two tragedies the airline has experienced within this year. The airline also has three different liveries for their fleet, the 737-800s and the A330-300s have the above livery, while the 777-200 fleet still retains the 1987 livery, and their A380 fleet has its own livery.

Further details in this World Airline News article.

Qantas' VH-XZL

Qantas Airways is taking delivery of VH-XZL (c/n 44573, l/n 5009) today. The 737-838 is making its delivery flight from BFI as QFA6024, and will overnight at HNL.

This is the first Australia-bound 737-800 delivery this year.

Xiamen Air Acquires Hebei Airlines

Xiamen Air announced that they have acquired over 99% of Hebei Airlines earlier this month. It is uncertain whether Hebei will remain as a subsidiary of Xiamen, or be integrated into the latter's infrastructure. Both airlines use HNL as the first stopover for their 737NG delivery flights.

Further information in this CH-Aviation article.

Qantas To Split Domestic And International Operations

Qantas Airways announced that they are considering separating their domestic and international operations, similar to rival Virgin Australia. It would be a move that would help the carrier return to profitability.

Another move under consideration, would be to sell off their Jetstar Airways subsidiary.

Further information in this CH-Aviation article.

China Southern's B-1701

China Southern Airlines is taking delivery of B-1701 (c/n 41251, l/n 5008) today. The 737-86N, leased from GECAS, is making its delivery flight from BFI as CSN7, and will overnight at HNL. This is their second 737-86N delivered within the past ten days.

Hainan's B-1995

This morning, Hainan Airlines is taking delivery of their second 737-84P within the past seven days. B-1995 (c/n 39213, l/n 5006) is making its delivery flight from BFI as CHH1995, and will overnight at HNL.

China United's B-1990

China United Airlines is taking delivery of B-1990 (c/n 39736, l/n 5007) this morning. The 737-89P, allocated from parent company China Eastern Airlines, is making its delivery flight from BFI as CUA990, and will overnight at HNL.

B-1990 is the 100th 737NG delivery flight to stop through HNL so far this year.

China Southern's B-2930

China Southern Airlines is ferrying B-2930 (c/n 27273, l/n 2556) to the US mainland, as its lease with ALC has ended. The 737-31L is making its ferry flight from CAN (via LAO, GUM, MAJ, and HNL) as CSN2002.

27273 was originally delivered to China Xinjiang Airlines [XO/CXJ] as B-2930 in December 1993 under lease from ALC. When China Southern acquired China Xinjiang in 2004, B-2930 was transferred into the former's fleet.

JAL Charters To KOA

Japan Airlines is having a few charter flights going to KOA from NRT, via HNL. The 787-8 service is making four-night stays from tonight, then Sunday (the 27th), and in mid-August. Today's flight was listed as JAL8894.

Xiamen's B-1969

Xiamen Air is taking delivery of B-1969 (c/n 39902, l/n 5005) this morning. The 737-85C, their second this month, is making its delivery flight from BFI as CXA1969, and will overnight at HNL.

Hawaiian Converts Order To A330-800neo

Hawaiian Airlines announced today that they have converted their order of six A350XWB-800 to the recently-announced A330-800neo. According to Airchive.com, that will make Hawaiian the launch customer for the A330-800. Deliveries of the first A330neo is scheduled for 2019, two years later than the delivery time frame for the previously-ordered A350XWB. The order also contains a purchase option for six more A330-800s.

Further details in this Hawaiian Airlines press release.

Shandong's B-1982

Today, Shandong Airlines is taking delivery of their third 737-800 within the past seven days with B-1982 (c/n 41615, l/n 5003). The 737-85N is making its delivery flight from BFI as CDG1982, and will overnight at HNL.

N338TH

N338TH (c/n 26440, l/n 2234), a 737-3L9, is making its way from TUS to Thailand (via ONT, JRF, MAJ, SPN, and TNN). The aircraft was owned by Aero Maximum, and sold to a Thai carrier.

26440 was originally delivered to Maersk Air (Denmark) in March 1992 as OY-MAK. Three months later, it went to Deutche BA as D-ADBB. In April 1999, it was acquired by Frontier Airlines as N310FL. In April 2008, it went to Garuda Indonesia as PK-GHX. Aero Maximum purchased the airframe in May 2014, then sold it to the Thai carrier this month.

China Eastern's B-1965

China Eastern Airlines is taking delivery of B-1965 (c/n 41473, l/n 4997) this morning. The 737-89P is making its delivery flight from BFI as CES299, and will overnight at HNL.

Hainan's B-1992

Also making its delivery flight from BFI this morning, is Hainan Airlines' B-1992 (c/n 41376, l/n 4996). The 737-84P is making its delivery flight as CHH1992, and will overnight at HNL.

Shandong's B-1987

Shandong Airlines is taking delivery of B-1987 (c/n 41376, l/n 4994) this morning. The 737-89L, allocated from parent company Air China, is making its delivery flight from BFI as CDG1987, and will overnight at HNL. This is also Shandong's second 737-800 delivery flight within the past three days, and the second consecutive to be delivered wearing the DEEJ special livery (and fifth overall).

Hainan Orders 50 737-MAX8s

Hainan Airlines announced that they are ordering 50 737-MAX8s, and are awaiting Chinese government approval. The airline currently has 100 737NGs and three 737 Classics in its fleet, and does not include other 737NGs allocated to their subsidiaries.

Further details in this Boeing Mediaroom press release.

Line Number 5000

Civil aviation spotters will be hard pressed to find the 5,000th 737NG built by Boeing, as line number 5000 belongs to a US Navy C-40A Clipper, BuNo 168980 (c/n 43827). This 737-700C has yet to be assigned to a Fleet Logistic Support (VR-) squadron.

Most likely, it will replace a C-9B Nightingale assigned to either the VR-61 "Islanders", a US Navy Reserve unit based at NAS Whidbey Island, WA; or the VR-52 "Taskmasters", a US Navy Reserve unit based at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ. They are last two squadrons with the aging C-9Bs.

This is the first milestone 737 to be delivered to a military client.

On a related note, Boeing has begun offering the 737-700C to the commercial market.

Further details in this Boeing Mediaroom press release.

PP-LEG

PP-LEG (msn 14501170), an Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 650, has been at HNL for the past several days. This pseudo-camoflaged Legacy 650 is registered to Sumatera Participações Ltda, and operated by Itaú Unibanco SA (São Paulo, Brazil). It was delivered in January 2013, and has a VIP interior.

Air China's B-1957

The third of three China-bound 737-800 deliveries today, is Air China's B-1957 (c/n 40041, l/n 4992). The 737-89L is making its delivery flight from BFI as CCA78, and will overnight at HNL. It's also Air China's second 737-89L delivered within the five days.

Shandong's B-1983

Shandong Airlines is taking delivery of B-1983 (c/n 41616, l/n 4980) this morning. The 737-85N, the fourth to wear the DEEJ special livery, is making its delivery flight from BFI as CDG1983, and will overnight at HNL. This is the second of the three 737-800 deliveries stopping through HNL today.

China Southern's B-1980

China Southern Airlines is taking delivery of B-1980 (c/n 41268, l/n 4993) this morning. The 737-86N, leased from GECAS, is making its delivery flight from BFI as CSN1980, and will overnight at HNL. This is the first of three China-bound 737-800 deliveries today.

Airbus Unveils the A330neo

With the production cancellation of the A350-800XWB, except for those already on order, Airbus Industrie announced this morning at the Farnborough Airshow, that they will be producing the A330-800 and A330-900 featuring the Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engine. Besides the new powerplants, the new A330 will also have A350-like winglets, longer wingspan, LED cabin lighting, and lower fuel burn. The A330-800 will be similar to the current A330-200, and the A330-900 will be similar to the A330-300.

Further details in this Airbus press release.

Okay Airways Orders More 737s

Okay Airways announced today that they have placed an order with Boeing for six 737-MAX8s, and four 737-800s. The airline is also converting an existing order for five 737-800s to 737-900ERs, that was part of 2010 order for ten -800s.

Further details in this Boeing Media Room press release.

Mark Dunkerley Wins Award!

Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO Mark Dunkerley has been awarded the 2014 Airline Strategy Award for Regional Leadership by Airline Business magazine (an industry trade publication), and a select panel of industry experts. The award recognizes Mr. Dunkerley's leadership in bringing Hawaiian Airlines out of bankruptcy into a global player.

Further details in this Hawaiian Airlines press release.

The Crank Flyer's Brett Snyder's recent interview with Mark Dunkerley.

Donghai's B-1705

Donghai Airlines [DZ] (China) is taking delivery of B-1705 (c/n 39387, l/n 4966) today. The 737-86J is making its delivery flight from BFI as DZ821, and will overnight at HNL.

39387 was originally ordered by Air Berlin, but not taken up. It received a temporary registration of N844BA while it waited for a new owner or lessee.

N941WP's New Livery

Island Air's N941WP "Manawanui" (msn 349) received the 2014 Ellison-era livery last month at Myrtle Beach, SC [MYR]. The ferry flight back to HNL was routed from MYR through SLN [Salina Regional Airport, Salina, KS] and MMV [McMinneville Municipal Airport, McMinneville, OR], as SXA1142.

We finally got an opportunity to take a photo of N941WP, since it was the only ATR72 in the fleet to wear the final full Gavarnie-era livery, seen below in a photo taken this past February.

Nok Air's HS-DBQ

Nok Air is taking delivery of HS-DBQ "Nok Bussarakam (Yellow Sapphire)" (c/n 37794, l/n 4991) today. The 737-86J, leased from Avolon, is making its delivery flight from BFI to DMK, as HSDBQ, and will overnight at HNL. Though each aircraft in their fleet has a unique livery, HS-DBQ has been painted in an extra special livery to commemorate the airline's tenth anniversary.

This 737-86J was originally destined to be leased to Air Berlin, but was not taken up, and transferred to Nok Air.

UAL201 Diverted To MDY

Last evening, United's UAL201 (HNL-GUM) diverted to MDY due to a fire in the cockpit that disabled some flight instruments. N210UA (c/n 30216, l/n 264), a 777-222, was abeam MDY when the fire was detected, and the crew decided to land there, instead of trying to return to HNL. United sent N779UA (c/n 26941, l/n 35) to MDY from HNL as UAL2068 a few hours later, to pick up the passengers at returned to HNL as UAL2104.

Because MDY is on a National Wildlife Refuge for sea birds, and part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, flights in and out of MDY must be done in the night hours to prevent bird strikes.

We came across this through Airliners.net's Civil Aviation Forum.

Watch FlightRadar24's radar track of UAL201.

KITV has a link to photos taken by passengers while at MDY in this article.

The most recent emergency landing at MDY was in June 2011, when a Delta Air Lines 747-400, N669US, en route to KIX from HNL as DAL277, suffered a crack in the windshield.

China Eastern's B-5816

China Eastern Airlines is taking delivery of B-5816 (c/n 39310, l/n 4986) this morning. The peacock-clad 737-79P is making its delivery flight from BFI as CES299, and will overnight at HNL.

We were unable to get a photo of B-5816 at HNL, but Rick Schlamp got a photo of it at BFI.

United's Eco-Skies 737-924ER

Spotted today was one of United's Eco-Skies 737s. This 737-924ER wears special markings that shows United's commitment to operating in a more environmentally friendly manner. N75432 (c/n 32835, l/n 2817) was delivered to Continental Airlines in February 2009, and went to United Airlines after the merger in October 2010. It recently had its "Eco-Skies" livery applied in January of this year.

Amelia Earhart's N58NG

Amelia Rose Earhart is replicating the around-the-world flight that her namesake embarked upon. In a Pilatus PC-12, N58NG, she is making the 19-segment flight that will begin and end at Denver's Rocky Mountain Metro Airport [BJC/KBJC]. Ms. Earhart arrived today from CXI, and will leave for OAK early Friday morning.

In the above photo, Star*Advertiser photographer Craig T Kojima photographs Amelia Rose Earhart at the nose of her PC-12.

More information in this KITV4 article.

Air China's B-1959

Air China is taking delivery of B-1959 (c/n 41321, l/n 4982) today. The 737-89L is making its delivery flight from BFI as CCA78, and will overnight at HNL.

Island Air And American Airlines Interline Agreement

Island Air and American Airlines have signed an interline agreement for ticket sales and continuous check-in (passengers and baggage) for both airlines. The agreement is already in effect. This will expand Island Air's feeds at HNL, OGG, and LIH.

This will expand Island Air's working agreements, as they also code-share with United Airlines.

Further details in this World Airline News article.

Xiamen's B-1970

Xiamen Air is taking delivery of B-1970 (c/n 39903, l/n 4981) this morning. The 737-85C is making its delivery flight from BFI as CXA1970, and will overnight at HNL.

Sorry, we were unable to get a photo of B-1970 at HNL, but Steven Bailey got it at BFI.

Hawaiian Adds LAX Seasonal Service

Hawaiian Airlines will be adding winter seasonal 767-300 LAX service to HNL and OGG. The airline is adding one extra flight (four times weekly) to both Hawai‘i airports, though during Thanksgiving week, the LAX-OGG extra flight will be daily.

Further information in this Hawaiian Airlines press release.

Six 737 Airframes In Derailment

A train carrying six 737NG fuselages, and components for 747s, 777s, and 787s, from Wichita, KS to Renton, WA, derailed at Rivulet, MT today. Of the six 737 airframes, four were dislodged from their train beds, and three fell along the banks of the Clark Fork River. It is not known at this time which line numbers, nor airlines, were assigned to these airframes.

The photos do show those at the river bank are 737-800s and a 737-900. Upon closer at one of the photos, it appears that the line number on the fuselage is 50__.

Here are the affected airframes:
5030 | N8643A | 42524 | Southwest Airlines | -8H4
5031 | HS-DBR | 43420 | Nok Air | -86N
5032 | N8644C | 35973 | Southwest Airlines | -8H4
5033 | N955NN | 31199 | American Airlines | -823
5034 | B-1971 | 39904 | Xiamen Air | -85C
5035 | B-1972 | 37620 | Shenzhen Airlines | -87L

Further details in this Aviation Week article.

Photos of the derailment from Seattle's KING5.

Happy Independence Day!

Wishing you all a Happy Independence Day, as we celebrate the USA's 238th birthday!

Mokulele Commences JRF Flights

Mokulele Airlines began their JRF-OGG service today. N856MA made the inaugural flight this morning. A Hawaiian blessing was held prior to boarding.

Further details in this KHON2 News article.

Editorial Note

We contacted Mokulele Airlines, and requested if we could attend today's event. They responded that they would put us on the media list. When we sought an update from Mokulele regarding the time of the event, the airline did not respond. Therefore, we did not attend the event.

US Airways' N707UW

Our July edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" features N707UW (msn 949), a former US Airways A319-112, that ferrying through HNL in November 2005, on its way to a new lessee.

949 was originally purchased by GECAS in January 1999, then leased to US Airways as N707UW. In March 2006, it was leased to United Eagle Airlines [EU/UEA] (China) as B-6155. The airline changed its name to Chengdu Airlines in 2010, and B-6155 remained under the new name. In June 2012, it was leased to Hamburg Airways as D-AHHE. In April 2013, TAME [EQ/TAE] (Ecuador) acquired this A319, and registered it as HC-COF.