Hawaiian Launches Service to Taipei, 7th Asian Destination

Hawaiian Airlines plane. File photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

Hawaiian Airlines today launched non-stop service to Taipei, Taiwan, marking the airline’s seventh Asian gateway destination.

The service includes three flights a week between Honolulu and Taipei using a 294-seat A330-200 aircraft.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who participated in the inaugural ceremonies, said the flight capitalizes on the extension of the US Visa Waiver Program to cover citizens of Taiwan.

Officials with the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority say the new flight fits into the state strategy of global market diversification.

HTA president and CEO Mike McCartney commented in an airline press release saying, “This new service is critically important as Hawai’i strives to become a major hub for that region in Asia.”

The flight comes on the heels of new service launched earlier this year to Sendai in June, and Auckland in March. Other international destinations include Tokyo, Seoul, Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Brisbane.

The next new international non-stop service will be between Honolulu and Beijing China in April 2014, pending government approval.

***Supporting information courtesy Hawaiian Airlines.