Hawaiian to Launch Taipei-Honolulu Service in July

HONOLULU, Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawaiian Airlines today announced plans to launch nonstop service between Taipei, Taiwan and Honolulu in July 2013, further extending the airline's strategic expansion into Asia.

The new service, which would operate three times a week, capitalizes on the extension of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program to cover citizens of Taiwan.

"We have long known that there is demand for a Hawai'i vacation in Taiwan, but visits have been impeded by the cost, complexity and time it has taken its citizens to apply for a U.S. visitor visa. Now that Taiwan is part of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, we are delighted to be adding Taipei as the latest city in Hawaiian's growing Asia network," said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian's president and chief executive officer. "Our new service will also offer a convenient new way for many in Hawai'i and in our mainland U.S. cities to connect with family, create new business relationships or visit Taiwan."

Hawaiian will operate the Taipei-Honolulu route using its new 294-seat, wide-body Airbus A330-200 aircraft, adding nearly 46,000 new air seats to the market annually to the benefit of Hawai'i's visitor industry. According to the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, the economic impact of restoring nonstop service from Taipei will be significant for Hawai'i.