REGENT has announced that Hawaiian Airlines has agreed to strategically invest in the company to support the initial design of its next generation 100-person capacity all-electric seaglider known as the Monarch. With this investment, Hawaiian Airlines becomes REGENT’s first U.S.-based design partner for the Monarch, which is slated for entry into commercial service by 2028.

“Innovative interisland transportation has been core to our business since 1929 when we replaced steam ships with airplanes. We are excited to be an early investor in REGENT and to be involved in developing their largest seaglider – a vehicle with great potential for Hawaiʻi’,” said Avi Mannis, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Hawaiian Airlines. “We look forward to working with REGENT to explore the technology and infrastructure needed to fulfill our vision for convenient, comfortable and environmentally sustainable interisland transportation.”

“Seagliders will be a game-changer for sustainable regional transportation in communities such as Hawai‘i. Through close partnerships with design partners and strategic investors such as Hawaiian Airlines, we can fully understand our operators and unlock their ability to provide zero-emission transportation solutions to their customers,” said Billy Thalheimer, REGENT CEO.

REGENT is a venture-backed aerospace and maritime company building all-electric seagliders, zero emission vehicles that provide harbor-to-harbor, overwater transportation at a fraction of the cost, noise, and emissions of existing regional transportation modes like aircraft and ferries. REGENT seagliders will offer a sustainable and resilient mode of regional coastal transportation, especially for residents of coastlines and archipelagos such as the Hawaiian Islands.

Hawaiian Airlines will relocate its ground services and check-in from Terminal 5 to Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), effective May 10. Hawaiian’s guests traveling to and from Honolulu (HNL) will enjoy JFK’s largest terminal with 21 food and beverage options, 36 retail shops and ample electronic charging stations.

Hawaiian, which will celebrate 10 years of service between Hawai‘i and New York next month, offers daily nonstop service between HNL and JFK with Airbus A330 aircraft featuring 18 First Class lie-flat leather seats arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration tailored for couples, families and honeymooners, as well as business travelers. Hawaiian’s A330s are also equipped with 68 of its popular Extra Comfort premium economy seats providing more legroom and enhanced amenities, in addition to 192 Main Cabin seats.

Hawaiian Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

Hawaiian Airlines today issued its 2022 Corporate Kuleana (Responsibility) Report, providing updates on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance and priorities, including new commitments to replace single-use plastics in cabin service by 2029 and locally source 40% of food and beverage for its Hawai‘i-based catering operations by 2025.

Hawai‘i’s largest and longest-serving carrier continues to advance an array of initiatives to reduce its environmental impact as it develops a roadmap to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Hawaiian is exploring sustainable aviation fuel opportunities, preparing to induct a fuel-efficient fleet of Boeing 787-9 aircraft as soon as next year, and partnering with Conservation Internationalto offer a carbon offset program for travelers while committing to offset emissions from all of its employee business travel on the airline’s flights. Fleet modernization and fuel efficiency practices have driven progressive reductions in the carbon intensity of Hawaiian’s flight operations each year for the last four years.

Hawai‘i’s hometown airline also reaffirmed its focus on sustainable tourism last fall by producing a Travel Pono (Responsibly) in-flight video as the state of Hawai‘i began welcoming more visitors and COVID-19-related travel restrictions have eased. The pre-arrival educational spot features airline employees who provide tips on how Hawaiian’s guests can safely enjoy the islands while respecting communities, the culture and the environment. Additionally, Hawaiian last year offered significant funding to travel2change, a Hawai‘i nonprofit helping to train and scale organizations hosting regenerative tourism experiences.

“We remain engaged with grassroots, industry and political leaders on how we can shape a greener, more beneficial and equitable tourism economy,” Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram said in the Corporate Kuleana Report.

To address plastic pollution, Hawaiian is committing to replacing 50% of single-use plastics from in-flight service items with sustainable alternatives by 2025 and 100% by 2029. Hawaiian expects to replace about 142,000 plastic bottles served onboard annually in a pilot project using aluminum bottles from water company Mananalu.

“Food sustainability is another important issue for us and our home state, and we support local food production,” the report adds. “Local sourcing of food both supports Hawai‘i’s economy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with the shipping of products. Over the past few years we have reached 29% of our spending on locally sourced in-flight food and beverage products at our Hawai‘i hubs. By 2025, we are committed to increasing this metric to 40%.” Hawaiian also announced it would only use cage-free eggs for catering on all flights departing from Hawai‘i by 2025, and on all domestic flights by 2027.

While COVID-19 variants and surges made 2021 another trying year for the 93-year-old airline, widespread vaccinations, relaxation of travel restrictions and the appeal of a Hawai‘i vacation helped with Hawaiian’s recovery.

Last summer, Hawaiian operated its busiest transpacific domestic schedule in history, with new flights connecting Hawai‘i with Orlando, Austin and Ontario, California, as well as nonstop Long Beach-Kahului, Maui service. Hawaiian also resumed flights between Honolulu and American Samoa, Tahiti and Sydney. By year’s end, strong pent-up demand for travel to, from and within the islands had allowed Hawaiian to recall almost all employees accounted for in workforce reductions in late 2020.

As Hawaiian rebuilds its employee ‘ohana, it is doing so “with a renewed focus on strengthening our diversity, inclusion and belonging initiatives,” the report said.

“The heart of Hawaiian will always be our people,” said Ingram, noting that nearly 1,000 employees donated 3,100 hours to community causes in 2021. “We continue to strengthen our diversity, inclusion and belonging initiatives. We are working to ensure that recruitment, retention and promotions are free of bias, and we are listening to our employees and acting on their feedback. While we have much work to do, I am encouraged by our progress in fostering a more inclusive and diverse company.”

This year’s report for the first time also includes disclosures aligned with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), in addition to Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) metrics.

Hawaiian Airlines has confirmed its long-awaited return to New Zealand on July 2 with the resumption of three-times-weekly nonstop flights between Honolulu (HNL) and Auckland (AKL), ending a more than two-year-long suspension due to pandemic-related travel restrictions.

HA445 will resume on July 2, departing HNL Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:25 p.m. and arriving at AKL at 9:45 p.m. the next day. Beginning July 4, HA446 will depart AKL on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 11:55 p.m. with a 10:50 a.m. same-day arrival at HNL, allowing guests to settle in and explore O’ahu or connect to any of Hawaiian Airlines’ four Neighbor Island destinations. Kiwi travelers also regain access to the carrier’s extensive U.S. domestic network of 16 gateways, including new destinations in Austin, Orlando, and Ontario, California, with the option to enjoy a stopover on the Hawaiian Islands in either direction.

Hawaiian has proudly served as one of the leading carriers for service between New Zealand and Hawaiʻi since March 2013. The airline will continue to operate its AKL-HNL route with 278-seat, spacious wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft featuring 18 Premium Cabin lie-flat leather seats, 68 of its popular Extra Comfort seats and 192 Main Cabin seats. Guests onboard Hawaiian’s transpacific flights to Hawaiʻi will also experience its new Travel Pono in-flight video, which debuted last year to encourage visitors to experience Hawai’i safely and respectfully.

Hawaiian Airlines’ CEO, Peter Ingram, made this announcement while discussing the company’s fourth quarter financial results:

“Our  two 787s that were scheduled to be delivered in 2022 are delayed and we now expect to receive them no earlier than the first half of 2023. The capacity from these aircraft has been removed from our full year capacity expectation.”

Boeing has been forced to delay some 787 deliveries due to some manufacturing issues.