United to add Chicago flight
By Debbie Sokei
Advertiser Staff Writer
United Airlines yesterday said it will reinstate its daily nonstop service between Chicago and Honolulu, a sign of optimism in the continued growth in the Mainland visitor market.
United's Chicago-to-Honolulu service will start June 3. Flights will be available for booking starting today.
United, the largest carrier to Hawai'i, will use a Boeing 777 aircraft with 312 seats in economy class and 36 seats in first class. United has 5,300 seats daily from the Mainland to Hawai'i.
John Tague, United's executive vice president for customer initiative, said the new service will meet the rising demand from the region.
"This flight will answer the call from our customers in the Chicago land area for daily, nonstop access to ... Hawai'i," Tague said.
In 2003, more than 1.6 million visitors from the U.S. region states east of the Rocky Mountains came to Hawai'i, an increase of 4.6 percent from a year earlier, according to preliminary year-to-date figures released by the state Department of Business Economic Development & Tourism.
Gov. Linda Lingle said the added flight will help boost the state's tourism industry.
"The resumption of nonstop service between Ho-nolulu and Chicago is good new for visitors from the Midwest and those connecting from the East Coast. As Hawai'i's visitor market continues to strengthen, the addition of flight such as this will help meet the demand," Lingle said.
United discontinued its nonstop Chicago-to-Honolulu route in February 2001 after the airlines retired its DC-10 fleet that was used for the route, said Stephan Roth, spokesman for United. The DC-10 aircraft carried 285 passengers.
Earlier this month, United announced it will start a second daily nonstop service between Tokyo and Honolulu beginning June 11.
United will use a Boeing 777 aircraft carrying 194 seats in economy, 10 seats in first class and 49 seats in business class for that route.
With that addition, United will have three Japan-Hawai'i flights a day. It currently operates a daily flight between Tokyo and Honolulu and a daily flight between Osaka and Honolulu.
Reach Debbie Sokei at 525-8064 or dsokei@honoluluadvertiser.com.
