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Alaska Airlines is planning to send some of its Boeing 737s to Hawaii, with a new paint job and a new mission: flying between the Hawaiian islands.
Alaska Air Group on Tuesday announced plans to replace Hawaiian Airlines’ aging fleet of Boeing 717s with Alaska’s 737-800s.
Those larger Boeing jets will get refreshed and repainted in Hawaiian livery before making the trek to Hawaii, the company said.
The transition is expected to begin in 2028.
Replacing Hawaiian’s Boeing 717 fleet
Hawaiian has used the Boeing 717 for decades on its inter-island flights.
Today, the carrier uses the jet on up to 160 daily flights between five major airports in the Aloha State: Honolulu, Maui, Lihue, Kona and Hilo.
But those planes are getting older; on average, the aircraft are about 25 years old, according to AirFleets.
Neighbor island routes in the spotlight
And after Alaska acquired Hawaiian in 2024, one of the things on its long-term “to-do” list was to figure out what jets it would use for critical neighbor island flying in the future.
Now, the plan is set: Hawaii residents and visitors can expect to see the larger 737s on short hops between the state’s islands within the next couple of years.
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The 737-800s planned for Hawaiian’s future inter-island flights will seat more total passengers than today’s 717s, and they’ll also have around double the premium seats.
| Seating type | Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 | Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 |
|---|---|---|
8 seats | 16 seats | |
17 seats | 36 seats | |
98 seats | 109 seats | |
123-128 seats, depending on the aircraft | 161 seats |
Each of the 737s will have Starlink Wi-Fi. Alaska also noted in a statement that the jets will have more cargo space for surf boards, as well.
“This decision reflects our commitment to invest in Hawai’i for the long term, to strengthen Hawaiian Airlines and to honor the local expertise, culture and care that have made Hawaiian the airline of Hawaii for nearly a century,” CEO Diana Birkett Rakao said Tuesday.
Beyond ‘visual expression’: Alaska’s plans for the Hawaiian Airlines brand
Alaska 737 slated for HNL service in 2026
While the official switchover from Hawaiian 717s to Hawaiian-painted 737s won’t begin until 2028, you’ll see the larger aircraft in the Aloha State sooner.
In fact, Alaska plans to base a 737-800 in Honolulu starting in October. It’ll start using the plane on three daily round-trips beween Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG).
Beyond that, Alaska has also told TPG it expects all of the 737s it (currently) flies between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii to eventually sport the Hawaiian livery. The idea is, if you’re flying to Hawaii, from Hawaii or within the state, you’ll be on a plane that has the Hawaiian brand.
Alaska’s post-merger fleet plans
This is just the latest reshuffling of aircraft in the wake of the Alaska-Hawaiian merger, which closed in 2024 and led to the two passenger-facing airline brands continuing to fly under the umbrella of one company.
Most notably, Alaska has redeployed the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners Hawaiian had ordered prior to the acquisition on routes from Seattle to Europe and Asia.
Meanwhile, upgrades are in the works for Hawaiian’s twin-aisle Airbus A330s, which are one of the aircraft you’re most likely to find yourself on if you’re flying Hawaiian between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii.
Those A330s are slated for retrofits in the coming years, which will give them new, more modern business-class seats and a premium economy cabin.
Counting planes
Alaska did not say how many of its Boeing 737s it plans to earmark for inter-island service in Hawaii. For what it’s worth, Hawaiian currently operates around 20 717s on its neighbor island routes.
Regardless, Alaska won’t be hurting for jets for its mainland U.S. service. Earlier this year, the carrier placed an order for 105 Boeing 737 MAX 10s, and expects to grow its fleet by 33% between now and 2035.
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