Hawaiian Is Sending Its Widebodies From Seattle to Tahiti and Osaka

Hawaiian Airlines has announced two new year-round routes from Seattle, one to Osaka, Japan, and one to Papeete, Tahiti. The Osaka flight begins May 14 with four weekly departures, and the Tahiti service follows on June 11 with three flights a week. Both are scheduled to start next spring.

The flights will use Airbus A330-200 aircraft with business and economy cabins. Passengers who belong to Alaska Air Group’s Atmos loyalty program are due to get free Starlink WiFi on board, a perk that is becoming a selling point on long flights where connectivity has traditionally been patchy and expensive.

Using the Hawaiian brand for these routes is a deliberate choice. Hawaiian already serves both Osaka and Tahiti from its Honolulu hub, so the airline has crews, aircraft and local know-how on both ends. With the additions, Alaska Air Group will have nine transoceanic routes from Seattle next summer, including four to Asia.

They join existing Alaska service from Seattle to Tokyo, London, Rome, Seoul and Reykjavik, plus Paris and Athens flights planned for summer 2027. The group has said it wants at least 15 long-haul routes from Seattle by 2030, a clear sign it intends Seattle to become a true international gateway on the West Coast.

Sources: Travel Weekly, Alaska Air Group