Source: Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines marked a milestone in its 94-year history: seeing off the inaugural flight of its new flagship aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Aircraft N781NA, named Kapuahi (a star known as Aldebaran in Western astronomy), departed Honoluluʻs Daniel K. Inouye International Airport this afternoon for San Francisco. The carrier’s first 787-9 guests were welcomed with fresh lei and treated to live music and hula by the Hawaiian Airlines Serenaders.
Kapuahi, which was revealed in February during a formal blessing ceremony in Honolulu, will operate the carrier’s nonstop, daily Honolulu-San Francisco flights until May 14, when it will join Hawaiian’s second 787-9, N780NA, to begin dedicated service between Honolulu-Los Angeles (HA2/3) starting May 14, and Honolulu-Phoenix on May 15.
“Today marks an incredible achievement for all of us at Hawaiian Airlines and I’d like to thank all of our teammates, Boeing and our many partners for helping us make this moment possible,” said Peter Ingram, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. “Our 787-9 is a true flagship product that, when paired with the award-winning hospitality of our crew, will provide guests with an unforgettable Hawaiʻi travel experience.”
Guests on today’s HA12 were also among the first to watch the carrierʻs new in-flight safety video, in which 57 cast members, all Hawaiian Airlines employees and family members, share important safety information from breathtaking locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands. The video, which is rolling out across Hawaiian’s Airbus A330 fleet soon, can also be viewed here.
The moment they step onboard Hawaiian’s 787-9, guests are immersed in an island-inspired design in a cabin that evokes Hawaiʻi’s beauty through form, texture, and soothing sunrise and sunset lighting. The 34 Leihōkū (garland of stars) Suites feature lie-flat seating, an 18-inch in-flight entertainment screen, personal power outlets, wireless cell phone charging and direct aisle access. Set in a 1-2-1 configuration with doors, the suites offer privacy or a shared experience with combinable double suites allowing couples to fall asleep while gazing at a starlit ceiling inspired by the constellations that guided early Polynesian voyagers.
Hawaiian’s 787-9 Main Cabin consists of 266 Collins Aerospace Aspire seats with ergonomically contoured back and armrests that maximize living space, offer more shoulder and hip room and feature a 12-inch seatback monitor with USB-A and USB-C charging ports. Main Cabin guests can also select from 79 Extra Comfort seats to enjoy more legroom and access to AC power outlets.
The carrier has 12 787-9s on order and last week took delivery of its second aircraft, N780NA. Hawaiian is scheduled to have three 787-9s by the end of the year, with the remaining deliveries occurring through 2027.