Hawaiian Airlines’ request for a Kona-Haneda direct flight route is the only one that doesn’t duplicate existing service from an American airport to the greater Tokyo area, the company said in its final filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation
Hawaiian Airlines’ request for a Kona-Haneda direct flight route is the only one that doesn’t duplicate existing service from an American airport to the greater Tokyo area, the company said in its final filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation Thursday.
The company is competing with three other airlines for a single route from the United States to Haneda. Kona International Airport lost its direct flight to Tokyo in October 2010, when Japan Airlines ended the service.
Hawaiian’s attorneys laid out two choices for the federal officials considering the application.
The federal agency “can grant Hawaiian’s Kona application with full confidence that, based upon the past two years’ experience, the last remaining frequency to Haneda will be put to its highest and best use,” the application said. “This choice would confirm DOT’s commitment to strengthening small carriers, increasing competition in a highly concentrated market, avoiding duplicative service proposals, creating new nonstop service, promoting economic growth, and, most importantly, awarding slots where the proposed service will be sustainable. Or, the Department can grant the application of any of the three alliance carriers — which each seek to serve markets already swollen with excess capacity.”
The DOT does not have a deadline to make a decision.
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