Hawaiian Airlines use Boeing 737s for island-hopping flights, phase out 717s
Alaska Airlines is planning to send some 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 an on-board refresh and 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 flown 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.
After Alaska acquired Hawaiian in 2024, one of the things on its long-term "to-do" list was to figure out what planes it would use for the critical neighbor island flying in the future.
Neighbor island routes in the spotlight
Now, the plan is set: Hawaii residents and visitors can expect to see the larger Boeing 737s on short hops between the state's islands within the next couple of years.
It'll give Hawaiian more seats — and roughly double the number of premium seats — for its island-hopping service in the future.
| Seating type | Hawaiian's current Boeing 717s | Boeing 737-800s currently flown by Alaska |
|---|---|---|
First-class | 8 seats | 16 seats |
Premium (extra legroom) | 17 seats | 36 seats |
Economy | 98 seats | 109 seats |
Total | 123-128 seats, depending on the aircraft | 161 seats |
Each of the 737s will have Starlink Wi-Fi — along with more cargo space for surf boards, Alaska noted.
"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," Hawaiian 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 some Alaska 737s in the Aloha State sooner.
In fact, the airline plans to base a 737-800 in Honolulu starting in October. It'll make three daily round-trips between Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG).
Beyond that, Alaska plans to eventually rebrand all of the 737s it flies between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii to 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 (Alaska and Hawaiian) 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 Airbus A330s, which are a fixture on routes between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. Those twin-aisle planes 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.
Related reading:
- When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
- The best airline credit cards
- Which US airline is best? TPG's 2026 rankings
- Flight delayed or canceled? Here's what to do
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- What are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuations
- Was the 'fast, free' Wi-Fi really slow on your flight, too? Here's what's going on