Hawaiian Airlines Awarded Direct Route From Haneda To Kona

Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced that Hawaiian Airlines was awarded a direct route from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Kona International Airport. While the flight route is approved, flights must still stop on Oahu until a permanent Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checkpoint is established in Kona.

“Today’s announcement that Hawaiian Airlines will now have authority to fly a route from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Kona is good for Hawaii’s visitor industry and an important first step in restoring direct service from Kona International Airport to Japan,” said Senator Hirono. “We haven’t had direct commercial flights from Japan to Kona since October 2010, and I have been working closely with our state and federal departments of transportation as well as CBP to make this happen as soon as possible.”

Senator Hirono wrote to Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to urge him to approve Hawaiian Airline’s application, and also met with CBP Deputy Commissioner Kevin McAleenan regarding the Federal Inspection Service facility to process international visitors in Kona. After many years of advocacy, Senator Hirono announced in February the U.S. and Japan agreed to expand U.S. flights to Haneda Airport, which made this route possible.