New Hawaii route: Southwest gives the Big Island's Hilo its first mainland nonstop in 3 years
Southwest Airlines is giving the Hawaiian city of Hilo its first nonstop link to the continental U.S. in more than three years.
The carrier on Friday announced plans to launch nonstop service between Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is on the eastern side of the island of Hawaii (often called the Big Island).
The city has been without a direct connection to the U.S. mainland since United Airlines ended its longstanding Hilo service from Los Angeles in early 2023.
Southwest's new nonstop service to Hilo
Southwest’s new flights to Hilo from Las Vegas will begin Aug. 6, the carrier announced Friday.
From the outset, the airline will fly between Las Vegas and Hilo three times each week.
Here’s how the itinerary shapes up:
- LAS-ITO: Departs 9:30 a.m., arrives 12:35 p.m. (all times local)
- ITO-LAS: Departs 8:45 p.m., arrives 5:10 a.m. next day (all times local)
Flights will run Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
This new service will be Southwest’s fifth route between Las Vegas and the Aloha State.
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It will also supplement the inter-island service the carrier already flies from ITO. Currently, Southwest operates five daily round-trip flights between Hilo and the state capital of Honolulu.
Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda on Friday touted the new nonstop link as a way to strengthen ties between the Big Island and Las Vegas — sometimes referred to as the “Ninth Island” as an ode to its strong cultural ties with Hawaii.
“Quicker flights across the Pacific means more convenience for our local families and another chance to support our hometown airline,” Alameda said in a statement that had a bit of irony. Southwest is actually based in Dallas, though it does have a strong presence in Las Vegas and has operated Hawaii service since 2019.
The state’s namesake airline, Hawaiian Airlines — now owned by parent company Alaska Air Group — currently serves Hilo with inter-island service. However, it doesn’t have a nonstop link from ITO to the U.S. mainland.
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Bolstering its Hawaiian footprint
This new ITO-LAS route is the third new flight between the U.S. mainland and Aloha State that Southwest has announced in the last few weeks.
In November, the carrier revealed plans to serve Honolulu from both Ontario and Burbank, California — both beginning next summer.
Hilo is home to approximately 45,000 residents, and it's about a 75-minute drive from Kona, which sits on the western side of the Big Island.
It's often seen as a less touristy destination, with a smaller-town feel. It's home to few big brand-name hotels aside from Hilton's Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo, which is part of its Doubletree portfolio.
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