Posted on: Thursday, November 29, 2001

United reinstates Hawai'i flights, adds Denver route

Advertiser Staff

United Airlines yesterday became the first carrier to Hawai'i to reinstate Mainland flights that had been cut amid plummeting air travel in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

United Airlines said it is resuming two daily red-eye Honolulu-California flights, and is adding a new twice-weekly nonstop flight from Denver to Honolulu.

Thomas Renville, managing director in Hawai'i for United Airlines, said the new Denver flight "really demonstrates the confidence we have in this market."

Renville said recent flights have been near capacity, after a steep decline in the wake of the attacks in New York and Washington.

Before Sept. 11, United had four daily flights between San Francisco and Honolulu, and four between Los Angeles and Honolulu. With reduced travel in the wake of the attacks, United cut one flight a day on each of those routes.

Those daily flights will be reinstated beginning Feb. 15.

With its new Denver flights, United hopes to provide traffic for the Norwegian Cruise Lines' Star, which arrives in Hawai'i next month. Beginning Feb. 2, United will fly a Boeing 777 with 348 seats every Saturday and Sunday between Denver and Honolulu.