Southwest Airlines is giving the Hawaiian city of Hilo its first nonstop link to the mainland United States in more than three years.
The airline on Friday announced plans to launch nonstop service between Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas and Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is located on the east side of the island of Hawaii (often called the Big Island).
The city has been without a direct connection to the continental US since United Airlines ended its Long-standing Hilo service from Los Angeles in early 2023.
New direct service from Southwest to Hilo
Southwest’s new flights to Hilo from Las Vegas will begin Aug. 6, the airline announced Friday.
From the beginning, the airline will fly between Las Vegas and Hilo three times a week.
This is how the itinerary is outlined:
- LAS-ITO: Departs at 9:30 am and arrives at 12:35 pm (all local times)
- ITO-LAS: departs at 8:45 pm and arrives at 5:10 am the next day (all local times)
Flights will take place on 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 complement the inter-island service the airline already flies from ITO. Southwest currently operates five daily round-trip flights between Hilo and the state capital of Honolulu.
Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda on Friday touted the new continuing link as a way to strengthen ties between the Big Island and Las Vegas, sometimes called the “Ninth Island” as an ode to its strong cultural ties to Hawaii.
“Faster flights across the Pacific mean more convenience for our local families and another opportunity to support our local airline,” Alameda said in a statement that had a hint of irony. Southwest is actually based in Dallas, although it has a strong presence in Las Vegas and has operated service to Hawaii since 2019.
The state’s namesake airline, Hawaiian Airlines, now owned by parent company Alaska Air Group, currently serves Hilo with interisland service. However, it does not have a direct link from ITO to the continental US.
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Strengthening your Hawaiian footprint
This new ITO-LAS route is the third new flight between the continental US and the Aloha State that Southwest has announced in recent weeks.
In November, the carrier revealed plans to serve Honolulu from Ontario and Burbank, California, both beginning next summer.
Hilo is home to approximately 45,000 residents and is about a 75-minute drive from Kona, which is located on the western side of the Big Island.
It is often considered a less touristy destination, with a smaller town feel. It is home to a few big brand hotels aside from Hilton’s Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo, which is part of its Doubletree portfolio.
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