Posted on: Tuesday, April 16, 2002

Airline adds seats to Osaka

Northwest Airlines said it will increase by 58 percent the number of seats on its daily flight between Honolulu and Osaka, Japan.

Minneapolis-based Northwest is switching to a Boeing 747-200 from a DC-10, adding 1,099 seats per week.

Northwest spokeswoman Kathy Peach said the change, which takes effect June 1, is due to the availability of the larger aircraft, a need to use aircraft more efficiently and increased demand.

Japanese arrivals to Hawai'i fell by more than 50 percent shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, and airlines reduced service. They are now about 15 percent below last year's level, and the airlines have been adding capacity.