Hawaiian Airlines adds new route

[macuu222]

Hawaiian airlines is adding another Japanese destination to their route structure. Fukuoka, Japan. I personally never heard of it.

http://investor.hawaiianairlines.com/pho...ml?c=82818&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1606230&highlight&hacmp=Facebook_Press-Release-Fukuoka_20110913

Hawaiians probably trying to make up for the foreseeable loss of their Sydney non-stops. Come December "2" low cost Australian carriers (Jet Star and Strategic Air) will be operating non stop flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Melboure to Honolulu with fares as low as $399.99 each way. Hawaiians currently charging $1500.00 each way! I don't think Hawaiian can compete with fares that low!! Although it would be nice if they did!

[JerryCarr]

Delta has also just announced service (a resumption of a discontinued flight, actually) on this route. Since acquiring Northwest through merger, Delta is now the biggest trans-Pacific carrier, so the competitive environment could get interesting.

[missydog1]

Fukuoka is located on Kyushu Island, the very southern tip of Japan (near Nagasaki). It is a good distance from other major airports.

I was curious and looked up the airport's ranking. It is the fourth busiest international airport in Japan, after Narita (Tokyo), Kansai (Osaka), and Central Japan Airport (Nagoya).

I found an interesting factoid that says there is more Yakuza presence in Fukuoka prefecture than anywhere else in Japan. Well, let's hope that is not Hawaiian's target customer. []