Hawaiian Airlines launched the Tokyo/Narita-Seattle route on May 12. It replaces the Tokyo/Narita-Honolulu route previously operated until the same day, aiming to optimize seat supply by opening a direct flight to Seattle, the base of the merged Alaska Airlines.
The route is operated daily with an Airbus A330-200 equipped with 278 seats: 18 in business class, 68 in extra comfort with extended legroom, and 192 in economy class. The Tokyo/Narita departure lasts 9 hours and 15 minutes, while the Seattle departure takes 10 hours and 20 minutes. The inaugural flight from Tokyo/Narita departs today, May 13. Passengers can connect to 104 cities across North America via the Alaska Airlines Group network in Seattle.
A launch ceremony was held at Narita Airport on the 13th, where officials performed a Hawaiian ritual to wish for the success and safety of the route. The Seattle Mariners’ mascot, Mariner Moose, also joined to enliven the ceremony. The first HA824 flight from Tokyo/Narita (aircraft registration: N384HA) departed 44 minutes late at 7:09 PM due to the delayed arrival of the first Seattle flight.
The Alaska Airlines Group plans to open at least 12 long-haul international routes from its Seattle base by 2030, with the Tokyo/Narita route being the first. The second route, Seoul/Incheon-Seattle, is set to open on September 12. According to the company, half of the tickets sold for the Tokyo/Narita-Seattle route in the U.S. are purchased from cities other than Seattle.
In the group’s future international expansion, the Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which Alaska Airlines is gradually introducing, will play a central role. In the interim, they will incorporate in-flight services reflecting Hawaiian Airlines’ hospitality, eventually transitioning to Alaska Airlines’ own service model for long-haul international flights. Meanwhile, the A330-200 aircraft based in Honolulu will continue to be Hawaiian Airlines’ core equipment, with plans for upgrading seats, cabins, in-flight services, and amenities.
Hawaiian Airlines has announced joining Oneworld, with CEO Joe Sprague revealing at the ceremony that the official membership will commence in April 2026.
The Tokyo/Narita-Honolulu route concluded its operations with the departure from Tokyo/Narita on May 12. Meanwhile, the Tokyo/Haneda-Honolulu route, previously operated 12 times weekly, is increased to 14 weekly flights starting from the summer schedule, with Osaka/Kansai-Honolulu operating daily and Fukuoka-Honolulu operating 3 times weekly, totaling 24 weekly flights between Japan and Hawaii.
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