Air Canada To Upgrade YYZ-HNL To 787

Air Canada announced today that they will be upgrading their seasonal YYZ-HNL service to the Boeing 787, that runs from December 2019 to April 2020. Presently, Air Canada is using the 767-300ER for this service (ACA589/590).

Further information in this Air Canada press release.

VietJet Air Orders 100 More 737 MAXs

In a ceremony with US President Donald J Trump present, VietJet Air [VJ/VJC] announced that they will order 100 737 MAXs, which breaks down to 20 MAX 8s and 80 MAX 10s. This order is on top of a previous order of 100 737 MAXs that VietJet placed in May 2016, and now brings their order book to 200.

It's not known when the deliveries of the second order will begin, nor which delivery route these MAXs will take to get from BFI to SGN [Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam]. VietJet's initial order is set to begin this year.

Further information in this Boeing Mediaroom press release.

9 Air's B-208K

9 Air is taking delivery of B-208K (c/n 61370, l/n 7337) today. This 737-86X is making its delivery flight from BFI as JYH208, and will make an overnight stop at HNL.

Air Vanuatu Orders 4 A220s

For its expansion plans, Air Vanuatu has placed an order for four Airbus A220 airlines (two -100s and two -300s), and will be the A220 launch customer in the Pacific region. The airline currently has a fleet of one 737-800 (leased), and two ATR72s (one stored). No delivery date has been set for their first A220.

Further information in this Airbus press release.

Donghai Airlines' B-1159

Donghai Airlines is taking delivery of B-1159 (c/n 61281, l/n 7334) today. This 737-83Z is making its delivery flight from BFI as EPA303, and will overnight at HNL.

Prime Air's N1217A

Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out the families of the three members who perished in the crash of Amazon Prime Air's N1217A (c/n 25865, l/n 430, f/n 17A) as it made an approach to IAH as GTI3591 from MIA. This 767-375ERF, operated by Atlas Air, was at HNL yesterday, as Prime Air's regular GTI3598/3599 service from RIV, then onto ONT.

N1217A also made the first few service flights last April, as Amazon Prime Air began servicing HNL.

Shandong Airlines' B-208G

Shandong Airlines is taking delivery of B-208G (c/n 61446, l/n 7370) today. This 737 MAX 8 is making its delivery flight from BFI as CDG9005, and will make an overnight stop at HNL.


02.06.19 UPDATE
B-208G is still at HNL.

China Eastern Airlines' B-208U

China Eastern Airlines is taking delivery of B-208U (c/n 63080, l/n 7369) today. This 737-89P is making its delivery flight from BFI as CES599, and will make an overnight stop at HNL.

Air China's B-209K

Air China is taking delivery of B-209K (c/n 60907, l/n 7341) today. This 737 MAX 8 is making its deliver flight from BFI as CCA84, and will make an overnight stop at HNL.

Beijing Airlines' B-3999

Beijing Airlines' BBJ, B-3999 (c/n 41090, l/n 3636), is making a stop at HNL from PVG tonight. The 737-79L BBJ is flying as BJN99.

F-WTDD

F-WTDD (msn 2173), an A320-212, is ferrying from AKL to Europe, via PPG, HNL, YYC, and KEF. It's making the HNL stopover this evening.

2173 was originally delivered to Air New Zealand in March 2004 as ZK-OJG, under lease from ILFC. In April 2010, it was sold to Macquarie AirFinance, and the lease transferred. In November 2018, ZK-OJG was withdrawn from service.

Air China's B-209Q

Boeing is ferrying Air China's B-209Q (c/n 60909, l/n 7378), their latest 737 MAX 8, from BFI to HSN (via JRF and GUM) for completion this morning. It's making its ferry flight from BFI as BOE266, and will make an overnight stop at JRF.

Airbus To Terminate A380 Production

Airbus EADS announced today, that they will end their A380 production in 2021, once all of the orders are delivered. Citing lowered demand for very large airliners, and a few key order cancellations, the European aviation conglomerate will terminate the "Super Jumbo".

Airbus' F-WWDD (msn 004), their A380-861 testbed/demonstrator paid a visit to HNL in December 2012 as part sales call to Hawaiian Airlines, and ground training for Swissport.

All Nippon Airways is still scheduled to convert one of their 787-9 flights to the Honu-liveried A380 in May.

Further information in this ATW Online article.

Southern Airways Express Buys Mokulele Airlines

Georgia-based Southern Airways Express has purchased Kona-based Mokulele Airlines, and its Hawai‘i and California operations. Like Mokulele, Southern Airways Express is an operator of the Cessna C208B Grand Caravan, and will increase its flight network around the country. As part of the deal, Mokulele Airlines will retain its name, but will come under the Southern Airways operating certificate.

Further information in this Global Newswire article.

50 Years!

Today, the Boeing 747 celebrates its 50th anniversary of its first flight!

HNL has seen practically every variant of the "Queen of the Skies", with Pan American and United serving with the -100, to Korean Air and UPS with the 747-8.

Fiji Airways DQ-FJH

Fiji Airways is ferrying DQ-FJH "Island of Gau" (c/n 29969, l/n 339) from NAN to SBD, via HNL. This 737-8X2 is flying from NAN to HNL as FJI2008, and HNL to SBD as FJI2009. It's due to be parted out, and scrapped.

DQ-FJH was delivered to Air Pacific (the former name of Fiji Airways) in August 1999. In September 2017, it was sold to WLFC, and leased back. This airliner was a frequent visitor to HNL from APW and NAN.

Volga-Dnepr's RA-82078

Volga-Dnepr Airlines' An-124-100, RA-82078 (c/n 9773054559153, l/n 07-10), is making a stop at HNL from AFW [Fort Worth Airport, TX] as VDA1618. It's scheduled to continue onto GUM tomorrow.

N846AU

N846AU (c/n 24846, l/n 309), a 767-383ER, owned by Automatic Leasing LLC, is ferrying from UTP [U-Tapao International Airport, Ban Chang, Thailand] to GYR, via HNL today.

24846 was originally delivered to SAS Scandinavian Airlines in June 1990 as SE-DKR "Aase Viking". Four months later, it was re-registered as LN-RCE. In December 2004, it was sold to Icelandair as TF-FIC, and did a two-year lease with Israir from March 2005 to November 2007. Two months later, it was sold to VARIG Brazil as PR-VAO, and flew with the airline until its closure several months later. In May 2013, it was acquired by Automatic Leasing LLC, and leased to Asia  Atlantic Airlines as HS-AAB, where it flew until July 2018, and stored at UTP.

Southwest Airlines' N8329B

Southwest Airlines is performing the first of several proving runs today, before the airline can commence service between the US west coast and Hawai‘i. N8329B (c/n 37006, l/n 4294, f/n 8329), a 737-8H4, is making today's proving flight from OAK as SWA8725, that will arrive this afternoon.

Lanmei Airlines' XA-VAH

Carlyle Aviation Partners is ferrying a former Viva Aerobus [VB/VIV] A320-232, XA-VAH (msn 3743), from MTY [General Mariano Escobedo International Airport, Monterrey, México] to PNH [Pochentong International Airport, Phnom Penh, Cambodia]  as it will join the Lanmei Airlines [LQ/MKR] fleet. This A320 will make stops at TIJ [General Abelardo L Rodriguez International Airport, Tijuana, México] as VIV1, HNL as VIV2, MAJ as VIV3, GUM as VIV4, and HKG as VIV5.

3743 was originally purchased by ILFC, and leased to Jetstar Airways in January 2009 as VH-VQB. In May 2014, it was sold to AerCap, and the lease transferred. In January 2015, it was leased to Viva Aerobus as XA-VAH. In December 2016, it was sold to Apollo Aviation, and was withdrawn from service in December 2018, when it was sold to Carlyle Aviation Partners.


02.06.19 UPDATE
It was re-registered as XU-901, and ferried from HKG to PHN.

Kamaka Air's N954RJ

Our February edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" features Kamaka Air's Beech C-45H, N954RJ (msn AF-5). It was modified with the Tradewind single vertical tail, and tricycle landing gear package. It was retired in 2006.