Hawaiian will initially serve the Incheon-Honolulu route using its wide-body, twin-aisle Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, which comfortably seats up to 264 passengers with 18 in business class and 246 in economy class.

Seoul represents Hawaiian's first destination on the Asia continent and its third Asia destination overall, having previously launched service to Manila (April 2008) and Tokyo (November 2010).

Hawaiian is providing nonstop service four days weekly to Incheon, adding 54,000 new air seats annually to a market that has been rapidly growing since Korea joined the US Visa Waiver Program in 2008.

According to information provided by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, arrivals year-to-date from Korea to Hawaii through November 2010 totaled 79,131 visitors, an increase of 75.3 percent compared to the same period in 2009. HTA is projecting that Hawaii will receive 115,000 visitors from Korea in 2011.

Hawaiian's Incheon service will help meet the growing demand of Korean travelers while also making it easier for other Asian travelers to reach Hawaii, a position supported by Tae-Soo Yeo, head of the aviation sales team at Incheon International Airport Corporation.

Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian, said: “This is another history-making day for Hawaiian as we expand even farther into Asia with our new flights to Seoul and introduce our unique brand of inflight service that promotes the Hawaii travel experience.

“We are thrilled about flying into Incheon International Airport, which is one of the world's most modern airports and a major hub for connecting flights throughout Asia.”

Will the new service meet the growing demand of Korean travelers?

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