JOE:
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES IS FLYING TO
HAWAII.
THE NEWS NOT ONLY BROUGHT
EXCITEMENT TO THE ISLANDS .. BUT
ALSO TO SOUTHWEST
EMPLOYEES.
workers chanting aloha FOR 6
SECONDS
JOE:
THIS HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE
MAKING.
THE LOW-COST CARRIER SAYS TICKET
SALES WILL START NEXT YEAR ..
BUT DID NOT SAY WHEN IT'LL
LAUNCH ITS FIRST FLIGHT -- AND
DID NOT REVEAL ITS
ROUTES.
STILL, SOUTHWEST'S ARRIVAL COULD
BE A
MAJOR SHAKE-UP TO HAWAII'S
AIRLINE
INDUSTRY.
WE FIRST BROUGHT YOU THIS STORY
ON OUR SIX
OCLOCK NEWS...
ALEXANDER ZANNES SPOKE WITH
SOUTHWEST
OFFICIALS, AND HE JOINS US WITH
MORE ..
ALEXANDER?
JOE -- IT WAS A PARTY- LIKE
ATMOSPHERE AMONG SOUTHWEST
EMPLOYEES WHEN THEY WERE TOLD
THE AIRLINE WILL FINALLY FLY TO
HAWAII.
THERE ARE STILL MANY UNKNOWNS
AND IT'S STILL
NOT CLEAR WHEN FLIGHTS WILL
ACTUALLY START. BUT THE
COMPANY'S PRESIDENT SAYS IT'S
GOING TO BE A "GAME CHANGER."
we are soon going to be flying
to Hawaii I can't believe it
From the minute Southwest
executives walked on the
stage in aloha shirts to make an
announcement, a crowd of
the airline's employees started
to cheer, seemingly knowing
exactly what was coming.
employees chanting: aloha aloha
aloha Southwest employees said
Aloha to flying to Hawaii
tonight, and were joined by
satellite feed with the
company's president Tom Neelan
and governor David
Ige.
GOVERNOR DAVID IGE: I think the
consumer will benefit
and I do think the Southwest
customers a different
customer segment so it
strengthens the brand of Hawaii
because it will be bringing a
new customer
group into our market
Southwest had been working with
the governors office for months
to make sure the daniel k.
airport in honolulu can
accommodate the airline's
planes, specifically the new 737
Max 8, a big reason for
Southwest's decision to fly to
hawaii.
ANDREW WATTERSON / SOUTHWEST
EXECUTIVE VP AND CHIEF REVENUE
OFFICER: it's been a long
time coming without about at
first about 10 years ago we
didn't think we had the right
aircraft for us we waited for
the newest aircraft from boeing
to come out the 737 max and out
that's out we started flying
October 1 so
less than two weeks later we're
going to fly to Hawaii
The airline plans to start
selling tickets next year, but
pricing and destination details
still need to be released. I
asked southwest about
competition with other airlines
that fly to Hawaii.
ANDREW WATTERSON / SOUTHWEST
EXECUTIVE VP AND CHIEF REVENUE
OFFICER: there's always a
competition in their line
industry is very healthy right
now all the airlines flying to
and from Hawaii are very
healthy so we don't expect our
entry to make too many
waves but I think we will lower
the prices because right now we
think the prices are a little
bit too high to get to and from
the mainland
SOUTHWEST HASN'T SAID IF IT WILL
FLY ANY INTERISLAND ROUTES. NOW.
AS FOR FLIGHTS TO
AND FROM THE MAINLAND, SOUTHWEST
SAYS TICKES
WILL START TO BE SOLD NEXT YEAR,
BUT NO DATE
HAS BEEN RELEASED AS TO WHEN
FLIGHTS WILL BEGIN. ALEXANDER
ZANNES KHON 2 NEWS.
JOE:
A LOT OF HAWAII TRAVELERS WANT
TO
KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS AS FAR AS
TICKET PRICES?
HOWARD DASHEFSKY GOES BEYOND THE
HEADLINES....HOWARD?
DASH:
JOE ... THERE'S STILL MUCH WE
DON'T KNOW
REGARDING SOUTHWEST'S ENTRY INTO
THE HAWAII MARKET... SUCH AS
WILL THEY BE FLYING INTER-
ISLAND?
BENCHMARKS THE AIRLINE MUST PASS
TO GET CERTIFICATION
FROM THE F-A-A BEFORE THEY CAN
FLY HERE.
AND THEN OF COURSE ... THERE'S
THE QUESTION
OF COST.
COULD THIS IGNITE ANOTHER
AIRFARE WAR?
According to local airline
analyst Peter Forman, the
short answer is NO. Don't expect
to see any extreme bargains once
southwest spreads it's wings
here.
00:50 "Southwest does not have a
cost percentage over the
existing
airlines..so it'll be nice for
consumers because there's
more choices, but I wouldn't
expect radically different
fares". 1:00
Southwest says it will begin
selling tickets for service to
Hawaii sometime next year.
But before that can happen, the
airline needs approval
from the federal aviation
administration. Basically
getting the necessary
certification that proves their
aircraft are fit to fly 5 hours
over the open ocean.
FOREMAN 3:22 "What that is it
showing extreme reliability
concern is if one engine
fails then that remaining engine
has to take you to your
destination so it's a pretty
rigorous process". 3:36 Another
issue to be addressed is finding
gate
space at the airport...
Something that will likely
come after receiving federal
One matter foreman IS looking
forward to seeing ... is what
cities Southwest will choose to
serve Hawaii.
FOREMAN 6:15 "The nice thing
about the 737 is they're smaller
planes so they can fly more
routes between Hawaii
and the mainland that other
airlines with the bigger
airplanes can't do". 6:27
Wherever they wind up flying to
and from ... Passengers we
spoke to say they're just happy
to have another choice.
AIRPORT MOS: MANNY RIVERA -
KAPOLEI RESIDENT: "It'll be
great, if it's going to bring in
low prices going to the
I would use it".
1:22
HUB BLANKENSHIP - FROM
SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA
"Actually I didn't know they
didn't fly to hawaii.
going everywhere
around the country so why not I
guess". 0:30
HOWARD:
WE DID REACH OUT TO HAWAIIAN
AIRLINES
TONIGHT.
IN A STATEMENT -- THE AIRLINE
SAID "WE ARE NO
STRANGER TO COMPETITION."
"HAWAI'I IS OUR HOME, AND OUR
SUPERIOR
PRODUCT, AUTHENTIC HAWAIIAN
AND LEADING PUNCTUALITY OFFER
TRAVELERS THE BEST VALUE WHEN
FLYING TO
AND WITHIN OUR HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS."
HOWARD:
NOW AGAIN, BEFORE ANYTHING CAN
HAPPEN THE AIRLINE NEEDS FEDERAL
APPROVAL, SOMETHING EXPECTED TO
TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS AT
BEST.
JOE...
JOE:
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES STARTED
FLYING IN 19-71.
IT'S BASED IN DALLAS AND FLIES
TO MORE THAN 100
U-S CITIES .. AND TEN COUNTRIES
INCLUDING THE U.S.
ADV
SOUTHWEST IS THE ONLY MAJOR U-S
AIRLINE TO OFFER FREE BAGGAGE
FOR ALL PASSENGERS ..
AND IT DOES NOT CHARGE "CHANGE"
FEES.
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
RECENT REPORT -- SOUTHWEST RANKS
NUMBER 9 FOR ON-TIME
PERFORMANCE.
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES CAME IN AT
NUMBER ONE.