Qantas Adds 747-400 Service

RoutesOnline.com reports that Qantas Airways will be adding 747-438 flights between SYD and HNL for the month of March as QFA103/104.

Singapore Airlines Cargo's 9V-SFO

Singapore Airlines Cargo's 9V-SFO (c/n 32900, l/n 1349) has made an overnight stop at HNL. This 747-412F arrived early this morning from SYD as SIA7194, and is making a fuel stop here before continuing onto ATL.

Lucky Air's 2-AVLB

Lucky Air is ferrying 2-AVLB, a 737-700, from KMG to TUS (via GUM and HNL). It's making an overnight stop at HNL.

It's previous registration was B-5249 (c/n 33011, l/n 1291). This 737-790 was originally delivered to Alaska Airlines in March 2003 as N645AS, leased from CIT. In April 2007, it was leased to Lucky Air as B-5249. Ten years later, it was sold to Avolon Leasing, received the current livery, and continued with Lucky Air until August 2019, where it was stored at KMG.

N65070 Lost

N65070 (msn 2035), a Cessna 305 owned by Honolulu Soaring Club crashed this morning, and took the lives of both aboard.

The HNL RareBirds team expresses our thoughts, prayers and condolences to the families of the lost.

Coverage by KHON2.com

Lucky Air's 2-AVLA

Lucky Air is returning 2-AVLA (c/n 30626, l/n 1273), a 737-790, to Avolon Leasing, as it ferries from KMG to TUS (via GUM and HNL). It's making an overnight stop at HNL.

30626 was originally delivered to Alaska Airlines in January 2003 as N629AS, leased from CIT. In March 2007, it was leased to Lucky Air as B-5248. A decade later, it was sold to Avolon Leasing, and flew with Lucky Air until August 2019, where it was stored at KMG.

AeroMéxico's N966AM

AeroMéxico's 787-8 Dreamliner, N966AM (c/n 35311, l/n 155), has made a stop from ICN, as it ferries to MEX (via NRT and HNL) as AMX9870.

N966AM was delivered to AeroMéxico in March 2014 under lease from AerCap.

Avatar Airlines

A proposed airline, called Avatar Airlines [Boca Raton, FL], has indicated that HNL will be one of the destinations the airline would fly to/from SFO, SJC, LAX, and LAS. The airline plans to start service with 14 747-400s, and have signed a letter of intent with Boeing for an order of 30 747-8i. No service start date has been announced. It has filed preliminary paperwork with both the FAA and the USDOT.

Coverage by World Airline News and Sam Chui.com.

Solomon Airlines' H4-BUS

Solomon Airlines is returning H4-BUS (msn 302) to Sky Holding Company, as Southern Cross International ferries this A320-211 from BNE to MZJ (via APW and HNL) as SXI2019.

This A320 stopped through HNL on its delivery flight to Solomon Airlines in May 2011 as N957PG.

N497TA

N497TA (msn 3378), an A320-233 owned by UMB Bank, is ferrying from GYR to CGK, with stops at ONT, HNL, and MAJ.

3378 was originally delivered to TACA International in January 2008 as N497TA. When Avianca merged with TACA International, the latter's fleet was transferred. N497TA was allocated to Avianca El Salvador in May 2013. It was withdrawn from service in September 2019, and stored at GYR a month later. It was sold to UMB Bank in December 2019.

AmeriJet's N378CX

AmeriJet's 767-323ERF, N378CX (c/n 27184, l/n 541), is making a stop at HNL from MIA (via LAX) as AJT121.

N728A

Our February edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" goes back to July 1998, and Saudi Aramco's DC-8-72, N728A (c/n 46081, l/n 471), when it made a stop at HNL.

46081 was originally delivered to United Airlines in August 1969 as N8971U (f/n 2271). It was also painted in the "Friendship" livery in the mid-1970s. In May 1981, it was sold to Cammacorp, and was converted to a -72 with the JT3D-3Bs replaced with CFM56-2C5s. In July 1982, it was sold to Saudi Aramco as N728A, and had the cabin re-configured to a VIP layout. In 2000, N728A received the current Aramco livery. It was bought by AeroTurbine in January 2005. Sadly, this DC-8-72 was scrapped at OPF [Opa Locka, FL] several months later.