N599XQ

N599XQ (msn 415), a Dash8-315, registered to the Bank of Utah, has made a stop at HNL. This was formerly N505LL, and made a stop at HNL as N599XQ last year. On this visit, the Dash8 has been painted all white. While we could not get a photograph of the port side of the aircraft, it appears to have something added in front of the main cargo door.

Fuzhou Airlines' B-1351

Fuzhou Airlines is taking delivery of B-1351 (c/n 63404, l/n 6779) today. This 737-84P, their second delivery in seven days, is making its delivery flight from BFI as B1351, and will overnight at HNL.

Hainan Airlines' B-1386

Hainan Airlines is taking delivery of B-1386 (c/n 44397, l/n 6777) today. This 737-84P is making its delivery flight from BFI as CHH1386, and will overnight at HNL.

Virgin Australia's VH-YWE

Virgin Australia is taking delivery of VH-YWE "Dreamtime Beach" (c/n 41015, l/n 6775) today. This 737-8FE is making its delivery flight from BFI as VOZ9940, and will overnight at KOA.

N7869A

N7869A (c/n 29365, l/n 1841), a former China Eastern Airlines 737-79P, is making a ferry flight from KMG to PAE (via GUM and HNL), as it it's being returned to AerCap, and will be repainted and re-configured for Southwest Airlines.

29365 wa originally purchased by ILFC, and leased to China Eastern in January 2006 as B-5054. It had Blended Winglets installed in 2011. It was sold to AerCap in 2014.

Xiamen Air's B-1353

Xiamen Air is taking delivery of B-1353 (c/n 42952, l/n 6772) today. This 737-85C, their second delivery this month, is making its delivery flight from BFI as CXA8299, and will overnight at HNL.

Hawaiian Airlines Announces New Executive Chef

Hawaiian Airlines announced this morning that Chef Lee Anne Wong will become the airline's new executive chef beginning 01 June 2018. She will be taking over for Chef Chai Chaowasaree to create in-flight dining menus for its trans-Pacific flights. Chef Wong owns the Koko Head Café in Honolulu, and was part of the "Featured Chefs Series" the airline and Chef Chai instituted in 2015.

Further information in this Hawaiian Airlines press release.

Southwest Airlines Could Begin Hawaii Service This Year

In a conference call with its shareholders, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelley announced that service between the west coast and Hawaii could begin as early as December 2018, pending government approval and ETOPS certification. It's a goal the airline set for itself to get into the Hawaii market in time for the holiday travel season, and hopes to begin selling tickets for its Hawaii service later this year. If it does not meet its goal, the airline will start service in 2019.

Further information in this USA Today article.

We will have a better idea as to when Southwest will start service, once the airline begins ETOPS proving runs between California airports and HNL.

Fuzhou Airlines' B-1348

Fuzhou Airlines is taking delivery of B-1348 (c/n 63403, l/n 6764) today. This 737-84P is making its delivery flight from BFI as B1348, and will overnight at HNL.

N673AN

N673AN (c/n 29423, l/n 812), a former American Airlines 757-223, is making its delivery flight to China to join the SF Airlines fleet. It's flying as the registration number, from VQQ (Cecil Field, Jacksonville, FL) to SZX (Shenzhen, China) via LAX, HNL, and GUM.

29423 was originally delivered to American Airlines in August 1998 as N673AN (f/n 5EE), and retired in April 2014, and stored at ROW. Jetran LLC purchased the airframe in January 2017, ferried it to VQQ, and converted it into a freighter six months later. It was sold to SF Airlines earlier this month.

Shandong Airlines' B-1358

Shandong Airlines is taking delivery of B-1358 (c/n 63767, l/n 6768) today. This 737-85N is making its delivery flight from BFI as CDG1358, and will overnight at HNL.

Air China's B-1399

Air China is taking delivery of B-1399 (c/n 60880, l/n 6690) today. This 737 MAX 8 is making its delivery flight from BFI as CCA47, and will overnight at HNL.

Aloha ʻOe N942WP

Island Air's last ATR72-212, N942WP "Paʻahana" (msn 425), began its ferry fligt from HNL to BGR (via CMA and SLN) this morning. "Paʻahana" was the last of the Island Air fleet remaining at HNL.

N70BF

N70BF (c/n 43720), a C-118B Liftmaster (DC-6A), is making a new home at JRF after its ferry flight from SMX. It's owned by Florida Air Transport [Miami, FL], and does work for the National Response Center (NRC) to do oil spill dispersal flights. It will be based at JRF for a few years.

43720 was originally built for the US Navy in 1953, as an R6D-1 with Bureau Number 131617. The R6D-1s were re-designated as the C-118B by the Department of Defense in 1962. It's not known when the US Navy retired this C-118B, but it was stationed at Naval Air Station Barbers Point with Fleet Tactical Support Squadron 21 "Pineapple Airlines" (VR-21) at some point in the 1960s and 70s with the RZ tail code. It also flew with the VR-50 and VR-51 during its time with the US Navy. In 1986, 131617 was retired by the US Navy, and stored at Scott AFB, IL. In 1989, it was sold to Basler Flight services, and registered as N70BF. In 1992, it was sold to Services Aereos Ejecutivos (Aerocarga) as XA-SCZ.  In December 1998, it was sold to Aztec Capital Services 9Fort Lauderdale, FL) as N70BF. In September 2000, Florida Air Transport (Oka Locka, FL) bought N70BF, and four months later, and it re-classified as a DC-6A. In 2012, it had a spray system installed, and has been flying as an oil spill dispersal aircraft.

This is a homecoming of sorts for this Liftmaster, since it was based at Barbers Point more than 50 years ago!

Airliners.net has photos of its previous liveries since returning from México: 2003, 2006, and 2010.

TransAir's N808TR Accident

TransAir's Shorts SD360, N808TR (msn SH3718), made a gear-up landing at JRF today. Flying as MUI2 from HNL, with a crew of two, made the wheels up landing on JRF's Runway 4R without incident. 

Further details in this Aviation Herald article.

01.24.18 Update
N808TR was ferried back to HNL today as MUI2.

Xiamen Air's B-1352

Xiamen Air is taking delivery of B-1352 (c/n 63686, l/n 6754) today. This 737-85C is making its delivery flight from BFI as CXA8199, and will overnight at HNL.

China Southern Airlines' B-5155

China Southern Airlines is ferrying B-5155 (c/n 30783, l/n 804) from CAN [Guangzhou, China] to SBD [San Bernardino, CA], via Guam and Honolulu, as this 737-8K5 will be parted and scrapped.

30783 was originally delivered in March 2001 to Hapag-Lloyd [HF/HLF] (Germany) as D-AHLH. After the the airline became part of the TUI Group in 2003, it was re-branded as Hapagfly, and D-AHLH was transferred. In April 2006, Tombo Aviation acquired 30783, and leased it to China Southern Airlines as B-5155, three months later. In November 2017, B-5155 was withdrawn from service, and stored at CAN.

Hawaiian And Jetstar Group Interline Partnership

Hawaiian Airlines announced today, that they are forming an interline partnership with two airlines within the Jetstar Group, Jetstar New Zealand and Jetstar Japan. It will allow passengers on the two Jetstar airlines to connect at Auckland; Tokyō (Narita), Sapporo, and Osaka, respectively to Hawaiian's flights, and allow Hawaiian's passengers to use the Jetstar network in those countries.

Further details in this Hawaiian Airlines press release.

RAAF's A47-006

The Royal Australian Air Force is taking delivery of A47-006 (c/n 63182, l/n 6468) today. This 737-8FV (P-8A) is making its delivery flight from BFI as VVRC006, and will overnight at HIK.

Ruili Airlines' B-1598

Ruili Airlines is taking delivery of B-1598 (c/n 60465, l/n 6734) today. This 737-8ME is making its delivery flight from BFI as RLH1598, and will overnight at HNL.

Alaska Airlines And Virgin America Under One AOC

The FAA awarded Alaska Airlines a single Air Carriers Certificate today, signaling a further step in its merger with Virgin America. From tomorrow, it will signal the end of the Virgin America flight codes (VX/VRD) and their call-sign "Redwood", as all will come under the Alaska Airlines flight code and call-sign.

Further information in this Alaska Airlines press release.

Hawaiian Launches A321neo West Coast Flights

Hawaiian Airlines commenced A321-271N service between OGG and OAK today. N202HA "Maile" made the inaugural flight to OAK this afternoon as HAL24, and will return to OGG tomorrow as HAL23.

Photos from Airways Magazine's coverage.

Hawaiian Airlines To Fly Between HNL and LGB

Hawaiian Airlines announced today that they will begin daily A321-271N service between LGB [Long Beach, CA] and HNL on May 31st as HAL69/70.

Further details in this Hawaiian Airlines press release.

Virgin America's N925VA

Virgin America's N925VA (msn 7999) flew in this afternoon from LAX this afternoon as VX1057.  With the full merger between Alaska and Virgin America looming, the newest A321-253N wears a special Alaska-esque livery.

Hawaiian's N204HA ‘Ōhi‘a Lehua

Hawaiian's 2nd A321-271NEO arrived from Paine Field on the 3rd of January. N204HA (msn 7959) was named after the ‘Ōhi‘a Lehua flower.

Donghai Airlines' B-7300

Donghai Airlines' B-7300 (c/n 61278, l/n 6656), is the first 737 delivery to stop through Hawai‘i for 2018. This 737-83Z is making its delivery flight from BFI as EPA299, and will overnight at HNL. B-7300 made its first flight on 21 October 2017, and been placed in short-term storage.

JALWays' JA8150

Our January edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" goes back to 2004 with this JALWays 747-246B, JA8150 (c/n 22479, l/n 496), seen above on Taxiway RT.

JA8150 was delivered to Japan Airlines in March 1981, in the Tsuru livery. In October 2000, it was assigned to Japan Airlines' JALWays subsidiary, complete with its own livery. In early 2001, it was painted into the above livery, with the "Reso'cha" titles, and flew with JALWays until November 2007, when it was withdrawn from service. The next month, it was sold to Orient Thai Airlines as HS-UTR, and flew with the airline for two years. It was stored at DMK from December 2010 to April 2014. The aircraft was bought by Kasemchai Farms, disassembled, transported to its property, then re-built as a preserved aircraft with its own tail markings, where it sits today.

Happy New Year! 🎉

The HNL RareBirds team wishes you all a blessed, prosperous, and healthy 2018! 🎇🎉🎆