Hawaiian Airlines Is Retiring Its Interisland Planes

Hawaii travel news can change quickly. Always confirm current details with official sources before making travel plans.

Hawaiian Airlines is retiring the Boeing 717 planes that have flown between the islands for more than two decades.

Alaska Air Group, Hawaiian’s parent company, announced the change this week. Larger Boeing 737-800 aircraft will take over interisland routes, though the full switch rolls out over several years, starting in 2028.

Here’s the short answer up front: your interisland flights are not going away. The aircraft are changing, not the network itself.

If you have an interisland trip booked for this year or next, you do not need to change anything because of this announcement.

Are Hawaiian’s Interisland Flights Going Away?

No. Hawaiian’s 717 fleet, which flies as many as 160 daily segments between Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island, is simply getting old.

The planes average close to 25 years old, and Hawaiian’s flight attendant union says some have needed longer repairs than planned. Alaska is replacing them with 737-800 jets it already owns, instead of buying new planes.

Two Different Timelines, Two Different Brands

This is where it helps to slow down, because two separate things are happening.

Starting as early as October, Alaska plans to fly Alaska-branded 737s, staffed by Alaska crews, on three daily round trips between Honolulu and Kahului, Maui.

This is a near-term fix while Hawaiian works through its aging 717 fleet, and it only affects the Honolulu-Maui route for now.

The bigger change comes in 2028, when Hawaiian starts swapping in Hawaiian-branded 737-800s across its full interisland network.

Hawaiian’s CEO has said these planes will keep Hawaiian branding and be staffed by Honolulu-based Hawaiian pilots and flight attendants, so the day-to-day feel of flying Hawaiian interisland is not expected to change once this phase is complete.

Related: Hawaiian Airlines Oneworld Alliance

What’s Changing on Board

The 737-800 is a bigger plane, and that brings some real upgrades:

If you fly interisland for surf trips or need to stay connected between islands, these are the features to watch for once the newer planes are in place.

Related: Hawaiian Airlines Free WiFi & Atmos Rewards

The Trade-Offs Travelers Should Know

A bigger plane is not automatically better for every traveler. A few things are worth knowing before you book:

• More middle seats. A larger 737-800 cabin means more middle seats overall compared to the 717’s two-and-three layout.
• The end of an era. The 717’s unusual two-seat, three-seat rows have been part of the interisland flying experience for more than 20 years. That layout goes away for good as the fleet retires.
• A long in-between period. The full transition does not finish quickly. Expect older 717s to keep flying alongside newer planes for a while as the changeover happens in stages.

Hawaiian’s flight attendant union has also raised concerns, though about a different piece of this.

The union has called the plan to fly Alaska-branded jets with Alaska crews on the Honolulu-Maui route “disheartening and disappointing,” saying it marks a shift from commitments made when the two airlines merged.

That objection is about the near-term Alaska-branded flights specifically, not the long-term Hawaiian-branded 737-800 fleet planned for 2028.

Will Your Flight Change Right Away?

For most travelers, no.

Unless you are flying Honolulu to Maui this fall, you are very unlikely to notice a difference yet.

Even on that route, Hawaiian and Alaska have not released exact daily schedules, so check your specific flight details closer to your travel date.

What has not been announced yet: exact fare changes, a full route-by-route schedule for the 2028 rollout, and whether frequency will shift on any specific island route.

Treat any of those details you see elsewhere as unconfirmed until Hawaiian or Alaska says so directly.

Related: Interisland Flight Prices in Hawaii

Traveler Tip

Hawaiian’s interisland flights are not disappearing.

The airline is retiring its aging 717 fleet and replacing it with larger, more comfortable planes, but the process happens in stages over the next couple of years.

Keep booking your interisland flights normally, and check back here as Hawaiian and Alaska release more specific route and schedule details.

Related: Hawaii Island Hopping Guide

FAQs

Is Hawaiian Airlines ending interisland flights?

No. Hawaiian is retiring its aging Boeing 717 fleet and replacing it with larger Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The interisland network keeps running. Nothing changes for flights you have already booked.

When will Hawaiian Airlines retire the Boeing 717?

The full switch to Boeing 737-800 aircraft begins in 2028. Some Alaska-branded 737 flights could start as early as October 2026 on the Honolulu-Maui route, but that is separate from the main fleet transition.

Will interisland flights be Alaska-branded or Hawaiian-branded?

Both, depending on timing. Alaska-branded 737s with Alaska crews may fly Honolulu to Maui starting as early as October 2026. Once the full transition begins in 2028, Hawaiian-branded 737-800s with Honolulu-based Hawaiian crews take over the entire interisland network.

Do I need to change my Hawaii trip because of this announcement?

No. You can keep booking interisland flights based on the schedule and fare that work best for your trip. Hawaiian has not announced any changes that require travelers to rebook or cancel existing plans.

Will interisland flight prices go up?

That has not been announced. Hawaiian and Alaska have not released any fare information tied to this transition, so any pricing claims you see elsewhere are not yet confirmed.

What is different about the Boeing 737-800 compared to the Boeing 717?

The 737-800 seats about 161 passengers compared to 128 on the 717. It also adds twice as many First Class seats, more Premium Class seats with extra legroom, free Starlink Wi-Fi, seat power outlets, and more cargo space.

Why is Hawaiian’s flight attendant union upset about this change?

The union objects to the near-term plan to fly Alaska-branded 737s with Alaska crews on the Honolulu-Maui route. It is not objecting to the long-term Hawaiian-branded 737-800 fleet planned for 2028.

Sources