Southwest Eases Off Hawaiian Air Squeeze With Pause in Expansion
- ‘We’re not the hometown airline,’ Dallas-based carrier says
- Plan signals respite for Hawaii mainstay after share tumble
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
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Southwest Airlines Co. says its planned incursion into Hawaii’s island-hopping market is mostly complete.
By the middle of January, Southwest expects to fly 34 daily departures on inter-island routes, up from 16 currently. Once they’re in operation, the company will be in no rush to make additional forays into a market long dominated by Hawaiian Holdings Inc., said Southwest Chief Revenue Officer Andrew Watterson.