The Airchive - Honolulu Planespotting

	Honolulu International Airport Honolulu International Airport is the major aviation gateway for the State of Hawaii. It is the primary hub for domestic overseas and interisland flights and to a lesser extent now, a gateway to the South Pacific and Asia. Honolulu International also functions as a joint military-civilian airport sharing airfield facilities with Hickam Air Force Base. Obviously most traffic is tourist related from the U.S. and Japan so in many cases airlines operate specially configured 2-class (no business class) aircraft into the market. HNL is very busy, but it's unique "open air" design makes it one of the least stressful airports I've ever visited. This aiport is the home base and hub of Aloha, Hawaiian, and Go! Airlines.

















	Hawaiian Airlines Ticketing Hawaiian and Aloha share the same terminal and adjacent ticket lobbies.

	Aloha Airlines Ticketing
	Departures Board This is very active during the late evening bank when most flights depart for the U.S. mainland.

	Aloha Airlines Ticketing

	Airside of Main Administration Building and Old Tower


	Wiki Wiki Express HNL runs a novel, but dated gasoline powered tram service on the roof of the main terminal.

	JetStar Airbus A330-300 JetStar, launched in 2002, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Australia's Qantas. It specializes in low cost, long-haul leisure flights. Qantas turned over its SYD-HNL route to JetStar.
	United Airlines Boeing 777-200 United was the 2nd mainland carrier to fly to Hawai and with the demise of Pan Am, its the longest-serving mainland airline. UA is also the #1 airline to Hawaii operating non-stop to Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, and Tokyo. Formerly, UA 747s and DC-10s dominated the scene but have since been replaced by 777s, 757s, and 767s.
	Overseas Terminal This is an unusual moniker as nearly all flights out of HNL operate "overseas". This terminal is used in particular for many long-haul international flights. It is the only terminal which has hints of a Polynesian feel.

	Overseas Terminal Airside Northwest operates A330s and 747s to the islands and Japan with the retirement of the DC-10s.

	Air Pacific Boeing 737-800 and Hawaiian Boeing 767-300 Air Pacific flies to Honolulu using narrow body equipment to Nadi, Fiji.
	ANA and Hawaiian Boeing 767
	Northwest A330s and 747s at HNL
	Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300 Delta operates non-stops from HNL to Atlanta, Salt Lake City, and Cincinatti.
	Delta Airlines Boeing 767-400 Delta operates non-stops from HNL to Atlanta, Salt Lake City, and Cincinatti.
	Northwest Airlines DC-10-40 At one time, the DC-10 was the most ubiquitous airliner at HNL. When this image was taken in November 2004, Northwest was the only operator of this elderly aircraft at HNL or in front-line U.S. service. They were steadily being replaced by Airbus A-330s. The DC-10-40 was unique to Northwest. It is essentially a DC-10-30 with Pratt & Whitney engines. Northwest serves Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Detroit non-stop from HNL. NW also serves Tokyo from Honolulu. They werevery reliable airlines for Northwest, who retired its final example in January 2006. NW incidentially is also the last U.S. major to operate the DC-9-10, 30, and 50.
	Gates 6-11 Airside United and American operate from these gates.
	American and Continental Airside
	American Airlines Boeing 767-300 American and United battle over market share at HNL with the edge going to United. American serves Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, St. Louis, and Dallas-Ft. Worth non-stop from HNL.
	American Airlines Airside Gates 14-23 American and United battle over market share at HNL with the edge going to United. American serves Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, St. Louis, and Dallas-Ft. Worth non-stop from HNL.
	Northwest DC-10-40 and United Airlines Boeing 777-200 airside
	Northwest Old and New The 1989 livery on an elderly DC-10-40 is seen next to a Boeing 757-300 in November 2004. On January 6, 2006 an NWA DC-10 from HNL to MSP was the last scheduled flight of a DC-10 on behalf of a U.S. carrier.
	Northwest Airbus A330-300 Northwest has opted for the A330 for its next generation of widebody aircraft. USAirways followed suit. Northwest initially used the 330s to replace the 747 Classics and DC-10s.
	Northwest Boeing 747-400 Northwest was the world's first operator of the 747-400. It operates them non-stop to Tokyo Narita from HNL in competition with JAL and United.
	United Airlines Boeing 777-200s at Gates 6-11 American and United battle over market share at HNL with the edge going to United. United was the airline that did more than any other to popularize Hawaii as a tourist destination. UA operates specially configured two-class 777s into the market to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Denver, as well as 747s to Japan.
	AA and UA Airside
	Hawaiian Airlines and Air Canada 767s at Gates 26-34 Hawaiian was the first Honolulu based airline to commence service to the mainland, back in 1983. The airline began with L1011s, than DC-10-10s from American, and now utilizes 767-300s. Hawaiian serves LAX, SFO, Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle, and Anchorage non-stop from HNL. Air Canada serves Vancouver non-stop.
	Hawaiian Airlines at Gates 26-34 Hawaiian was the first Honolulu based airline to commence service to the mainland, back in 1983. The airline began with L1011s, than DC-10-10s from American, and now utilizes 767-300s. Hawaiian serves LAX, SFO, Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle, and Anchorage non-stop from HNL. Air Canada serves Vancouver non-stop. It operates a fleet of brand new Boeing 717s on the intra-island flights. Despite Hawaiian's high load factors, it continues to operate under Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. However, its operations and on-time record are among the industry's best and a comeback is in the making.

	Continental Airlines Boeing 767-400 Continental operates non-stop from HNL to Guam, Los Angeles, Houston, and Newark using primarily 767-300s and 400s. Continental has flown to Honolulu since the early 1970s.

	ATA Boeing 757-300 This may be an endangered sight at HNL and perhaps everywhere as ATA has filed for bankruptcy and sold off its Chicago Midway routes. The 757s served LAX, Midway, and Indianapolis non-stop from HNL taking over from the L1011s which finally left the fleet a few years back.

	ATA and North American Boeing 757s
	North American Airlines Boeing 757-200 North American is a New York JFK based charter airline operating 737s and 757s.
	JALWays Boeing 747-300 The backbone of tourism is tourism, particularly from Japan. JALWays, a subsidiary of JAL, operates to leisure destinations such as Honolulu and Guam from Tokyo, Kansai, Fukoka, and Sapporo. This 747 is seen on approach at the Guam Planespotting Page.

	JAL Boeing 747-300 JAL operates mainline service from HNL to Kansai and Tokyo Narita.

	USAirways Boeing 767 USAirways operates from HNL to Las Vegas and Phoenix
	Hawaiian / Aloha Inter-Island Terminal Aloha and Hawaiian operate from their own terminal for inter-island flights. The gates aren't spaced wide enough apart to accept widebodies. As Aloha operates 737s to the mainland, its overseas flights operate from here.



	Aloha Boeing 737-200 Aloha operates a mix of 737-200s on intra-island flights and next generation 737-700s on mainland U.S. flights. The airline operated 737-300s in the early 90s but sold them off due to financial pressures. Aloha and Hawaiian are spirited competitors with each holding about a 50/50 market share on the intra-island services. Aloha launched mainland flights in 2000 with non-stop flights to thinner markets like Burbank, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Portland. See cabin shots at Airliner Interior page.


	Aloha and Hawaiian Memorabilia Display
	Aloha Historic Murals in Inter-Island Terminal

	Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 The DC-9-50s were the mainstay of HA's inter-island fleet until the 1999 introduction of the 717. Hawaiian received the last new one off the line. The 717 is extremely modern compared with Aloha's elderly 737-200s.

	Aloha/Hawaiian Inter-Island Terminal Airside Aloha and Hawaiian operate exclusively from this terminal connected to the main terminal.
	Commuter Terminal Go!, Go! Express, Island Air, Mokulele Airlines, and Pacific Wings operate from their own terminal . Until the arrival of Go's CRJs, this terminal was only used for props and turboprops. It is a short walk from the Aloha/Hawaiian ticket lobbies.
	Commuter Terminal Ticketing Go!, Go! Express, Island Air, Mokulele Airlines, and Pacific Wings operate from their own terminal . Until the arrival of Go's CRJs, this terminal was only used for props and turboprops. It is a short walk from the Aloha/Hawaiian ticket lobbies.

	Commuter Terminal Gates 71-80 Go!, Go! Express, Island Air, Mokulele Airlines, and Pacific Wings operate from their own terminal . Until the arrival of Go's CRJs, this terminal was only used for props and turboprops. These are the only gates at HNL where PAX board from the tarmac.
	Commuter Terminal Airside Go!, Go! Express, Island Air, Mokulele Airlines, and Pacific Wings operate from their own terminal . Until the arrival of Go's CRJs, this terminal was only used for props and turboprops. These are the only gates at HNL where PAX board from the tarmac.
	Go Airlines CRJ-200 Mesa's Go! flies ex-Independence CRJ-200s on its Hawaiian intra-island routes. Go is controversial in the islands due to its low (some call "predatory") fares which is threatening Aloha and Hawaiian's duoploy in the market. See cabin shots at Airliner Interior page.

	Island Air DHC-8 Aloha subsidiary Island Air operates to Hilo, Kapalua, Kahului, Lana‘i, and Moloka‘i.
	Aloha Maintenance Base Aloha operates a mix of 737-200s on intra-island flights and next generation 737-700s on mainland U.S. flights. The airline operated 737-300s in the early 90s but sold them off due to financial pressures. Aloha and Hawaiian are spirited competitors with each holding about a 50/50 market share on the intra-island services. Aloha launched mainland flights in 2000 with non-stop flights to thinner markets like Burbank, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Portland.
	Aloha and Hawaiian Maintenance Hanger These two ferocious rivals remarkably share the same HQ and hanger.


	HNL ATC Tower
	Continental Maintenance Hanger
	Hooters Air Boeing 737-200 This taxi'd in the day I was at HNL, assumedly to take a role in the Aloha Fleet

	Shorts 360 This cargo bird is a rare site in the islands, and anywhere for that matter!
	Cessna Caravan
	Kawaka Air Douglas DC-3
	Hawaiian Airlines Douglas DC-9-50 Most of these were ferried to the mainland to be parted out. This is the last example in the islands. I wonder why it never left?
	Comet at HNL This photograph, and other aviation momentos, can be seen in the Aloha Airlines gates.
	ATC Tower
	Aloha Boeing 737-200 spoilers retract on landing
	Dowtown and Waikiki Beach HNL is of close proximity to these famed spots which can be seen from the terminal.


	HNL General Aviation Apron
	Runway 4R/L and 22 L/R jutting out over the ocean
	Approaches to HNL over Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, and other parts of Oahu.

	HNL Aerials



	Honolulu International Airport - 1950s and 1960s HNL came into its own with Pan Am's launch of non-stop service in 1946 from the mainland.
	C-17 at Hickham AFB
	C-17 and KC-135 at Hickham AFB
	KC-135 Stratotankers at Hickham AFB Note that one example has the newer high bypass engines while the other uses the older low bypass powerplants.
	Approach to HNL over Hickham AFB