Hawaiian Air aiming to ramp up flight service to Japan

Hawaiian Airlines is seeking to ramp up its limited flight service to Japan in the second quarter, an omicron variant-linked delay from the carrier’s earlier goal of returning to a fuller slate of flights by late March.

Japan represents the largest foreign market for Hawaiian, which had about a quarter of its business outside the U.S. before the pandemic struck in early 2020. Earlier this month, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the nation would extend its border restrictions until the end of February because of the variant.

“The international travel policy changes we have seen since the identification of the omicron variant continue to remind us that the road ahead may not be smooth,” Peter Ingram, chief executive officer of Hawaiian’s parent, Hawaiian Holdings Inc., said Tuesday on a call with analysts.

The Honolulu-based carrier also said delivery of its initial two Boeing Co. 787 aircraft will be delayed until the first half of next year from late 2022.