SEATTLE- Alaska Airlines (AS) will launch two new seasonal routes from Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) to Boise Airport (BOI) in Idaho and Spokane International Airport (GEG) in Washington, both flown on Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
At the same time, Hawaiian Airlines (HA) will not resume its seasonal service from Honolulu (HNL) to Auckland Airport (AKL) in New Zealand. The Airbus A330s freed from that route will move to added peak-period flying between HNL and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.
New Honolulu Routes to Boise and Spokane
Alaska will operate daily nonstop flights between Honolulu and Boise from December 17 through March 21, 2027. The Spokane route will run Saturdays only, from December 19 through April 17, 2027.
Both routes use Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and give two inland Western markets their first direct link to Hawaii.
Beginning in mid-December, Alaska becomes the only carrier connecting Honolulu with Boise and Spokane.
The airline said demand from both cities has been strong during the winter and early spring seasons, with many travelers continuing on to Neighbor Island destinations beyond Oʻahu.
As reported by The Points Guy, the moves are part of Alaska’s continued network changes following its integration of Hawaiian.
Hawaiian Ends Its Auckland Route
Hawaiian will not restart its 3 times weekly Honolulu to Auckland service, which had been scheduled to return in November. The route first launched in 2013, according to schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, and was operated with the Airbus A330.
Alaska described the schedule adjustments as changes designed to align capacity with evolving travel demand.
Hawaiian cited high fuel costs, a soft demand recovery in international Pacific markets, unfavorable exchange rates, and shifting global travel trends as reasons for exiting the market.
Because this was Hawaiian’s only Auckland service from the United States, ending it removes the carrier from the New Zealand market entirely, leaving Air New Zealand as the only airline flying the direct Auckland to Honolulu route.
Airbus A330s Move to Las Vegas
The A330s previously assigned to Auckland will instead support additional Honolulu to Las Vegas flights.
Hawaiian will add 3 weekly flights on the route during peak winter and spring periods, raising daily frequency from three to four during those windows.
The shift lets Alaska Air Group place widebody capacity on a strong domestic leisure market.
Overall, Hawaii seasonal capacity is set to grow 3% year-over-year, rising to as much as 6% during peak holiday periods.
Post-Merger Network Changes
The pace of network changes has increased since Alaska closed its merger with Hawaiian in 2024. In June, the airline ended five routes to Mexico in favor of added capacity between the mainland United States and Hawaii.
During 2025, it also ended Hawaiian’s flights from Honolulu to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Fukuoka Airport (FUK) in Japan, and Incheon International Airport (ICN) near Seoul.
Prior to the latest announcement, combined Alaska and Hawaiian seat capacity from Honolulu was down nearly 1% this year compared to 2025, based on Cirium schedules. Seat capacity from Seattle rose nearly 2% over the same period.
Building a Global Carrier from Seattle
While trimming several Pacific and international routes, Alaska has expanded long-haul flying from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Nonstop service to Tokyo’s Narita Airport (NRT) and to Incheon (ICN) began in 2025.
This summer, the carrier is adding flights to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR), Keflavik International Airport (KEF) in Iceland, and Fiumicino Airport (FCO) near Rome.
Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci has framed the expansion as an effort to build a global airline. He said in January the company is “creating the fourth global airline in our country to compete against the Big 3,” a reference to American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.
Alternative Options
Alaska Atmos Rewards members can still reach New Zealand through the carrier’s Oneworld alliance partners.
American Airlines serves Auckland (AKL) from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and Qantas Airways operates flights from Sydney Airport (SYD).
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