Southwest Airlines is planning flights that would connect Hawaii to multiple California cities, including San Jose and Oakland, the carrier said Thursday.
Pending regulatory approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration, Southwest said Thursday it would connect Hawaii with Oakland International Airport, Mineta San Jose International Airport, Sacramento International Airport and San Diego International Airport.
“The way we plan to serve Hawaii requires us to share these initial details now so that our facilities in the airports will be ready for all that we intend to offer,” Tom Nealon, Southwest Airlines president, said during a presentation in Honolulu Thursday.
Last week, Southwest announced plans to serve airports on four different Hawaiian islands: Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii. The airports are in Honolulu, Oahu; Kahului, Maui; Lihue, Kauai; and Kona, Hawaii.
“We are so thrilled about this,” said Rosemary Barnes, a spokeswoman for San Jose airport. “For us it shows how Southwest has a real focus on our airport. They are increasing facilities at San Jose, putting more staff there. Southwest is making a huge commitment to San Jose.”
Plus, the addition of the Hawaii flights also points to a broader perception of how San Jose airport — primarily an air travel hub for business people — is being viewed by airlines.
“Hawaii is a whole other demographic for San Jose beyond the business traveler,” Barnes said. “This opens up the potential for more leisure travelers.”
At present, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines offer multiple flights a week connecting San Jose and Hawaii destinations.
“This means increased competition, improved service, lower fares, it gives more people the ability to travel to the Hawaiian islands who might not have been able to do so before,” Barnes said.
Oakland airport officials quickly embraced Southwest’s new Hawaii plans.
“Offering these new nonstop options to Hawaii further solidifies Oakland’s presence as a major west coast long-haul gateway, and we look forward to more to come,” said Bryant Francis, director of aviation for the Port of Oakland. “Southwest continues to be a tremendous partner .”