Alaska Airlines is planning to send some Boeing 737s to Hawaii with a new paint job and a new mission: flying between the Hawaiian islands.
Alaska Air Group announced plans to replace Hawaiian Airlines’ aging fleet of Boeing 717s with Alaska’s 737-800s. Those larger Boeing jets will get an on-board refresh and Hawaiian livery before making the trek to Hawaii. The transition is expected to begin in 2028.
Replacing Hawaiian’s Boeing 717 Fleet
Hawaiian has flown the Boeing 717 for decades on its inter-island flights. Today, the carrier uses the jet on up to 160 daily flights between five major airports in the Aloha State: Honolulu, Maui, Lihue, Kona, and Hilo.
But those planes are getting older — on average, the aircraft are about 25 years old, according to AirFleets.
After Alaska acquired Hawaiian in 2024, one of the things on its long-term to-do list was to figure out what planes it would use for the critical neighbor island flying in the future.
Neighbor Island Routes in the Spotlight
Now, the plan is set: Hawaii residents and visitors can expect to see the larger Boeing 737s on short hops between the state’s islands within the next couple of years.
The switch will give Hawaiian more seats — and roughly double the number of premium seats — for its island-hopping service.
| Seating Type | Hawaiian’s Current Boeing 717s | Boeing 737-800s (Alaska) |
|---|---|---|
| First-class | 8 seats | 16 seats |
| Premium (extra legroom) | 17 seats | 36 seats |
| Economy | 98 seats | 109 seats |
| Total | 123–128 seats, depending on aircraft | 161 seats |
Each of the 737s will have Starlink Wi-Fi — along with more cargo space for surfboards, Alaska noted.
“This decision reflects our commitment to invest in Hawai’i for the long term, to strengthen Hawaiian Airlines and to honor the local expertise, culture and care that have made Hawaiian the airline of Hawaii for nearly a century,” Hawaiian CEO Diana Birkett Rakao said.
Alaska 737 Slated for HNL Service in 2026
While the official switchover from Hawaiian 717s to Hawaiian-painted 737s won’t begin until 2028, Alaska 737s will appear in the Aloha State sooner. The airline plans to base a 737-800 in Honolulu starting in October, making three daily round-trips between Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG).
Beyond that, Alaska plans to eventually rebrand all of the 737s it flies between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii to the Hawaiian livery. The idea is that whether you’re flying to Hawaii, from Hawaii, or within the state, you’ll be on a plane carrying the Hawaiian brand.
Alaska’s Post-Merger Fleet Plans
This is just the latest reshuffling of aircraft following the Alaska-Hawaiian merger, which closed in 2024. The fleet transition reflects the combined airline group’s broader strategy of consolidating operations under the Hawaiian brand for all Hawaii-related flying, while modernizing the aging inter-island fleet with larger, better-equipped aircraft for travelers island-hopping across the state.
